Prove It
by soccerfanatic16
Summary: Prove it! Do one thing your afraid of doing and I'll believe you! she yelled. And that's excactly what Aang did. Taang drabble series.Ch. 17: part 1 of the 11 part series! We're in South Africa, baby!
1. Prove It

**Yes I have decided to start a drabble series! I have a lot of ideas that I couldn't fit into stories so they'll go in here. weeeeeeee.**

**I do not own avatar the last airbender and i never will. but my birthday is coming up. . . **

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PROVE IT

"I can't believe you! It's been weeks and you haven't even improved!" Toph yelled into the face of her student, who winced slightly.

"It's not my fault! I'm still weak!" Aang yelled, feeling the burn on his back throb.

"But it's been weeks! I'm surprised you can still do the things you learned before Ba Sing Se!" Toph yelled back, straightening her back and casting a shadow over Aang who was sitting down. "How are you going to beat that fire lord dude if you can't even get over this!"

Aang's eye's narrowed. It wasn't his fault!

"What are you, stupid!?" Toph said when Aang didn't reply.

"No! I'll get this ok! I'll get it eventually!"

"No, you need to get it now! You need to be _fearless _to be an earth bender! And you are far from fearless!"

"I'm not a coward!" Aang said, jumping to his feet and standing at his full height, his thumb pointing to his chest.

"Yeah, right. You need to be brave in everything you do and your not!" Toph said at a loud growl.

"I'm as brave as I need to be!" Aang said defensively, face slightly red, brow furrowed and lips tightened to a thin line.

"Prove it! Do one thing your afraid of doing and I'll believe you!" Toph yelled in his face, her own face contorted with anger.

And that's exactly what Aang did. He took a firm hold of Toph's arms and brought his lips to hers. Her body tensed as she felt his soft lips on her rough ones. But her face relaxed and she moved her hands to cup his face.

Aang couldn't have been more surprised when Toph kissed him back. He let go of her arms and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Hey guys, dinner's rea- WHOA!" Sokka yelled, diving back behind a boulder. Toph shoved Aang away, blushing furiously, and Aang scratched his now hairy head sheepishly.

"Uh, sorry I didn't mean to _interrupt _something." Sokka said from behind the boulder. Toph's face grew more red as Katara can from behind the boulder as well.

"Toph are you ok? You look a little feverish." She said in her motherly tone, walking up to Toph and laying a hand on her forehead.

"Trust me Katara that's not why she's red." Sokka said slyly, now leaning against the boulder. Both Aang and Toph shot him glare's and Katara looked between them with a confused expression on her face.

When Katara raised her eyebrow to Aang he just smiled wearily and started walking back to camp.

Toph shook Katara's hand away and ran back to camp, running past Aang and swearing she would kill Sokka if it was the last thing she did.

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**Yeah! One of my many ideas. i don't like how it ended though. or how short it is. oh and if anyone has ideas than i would love to hear them! challenges, ideas, complaints, anything? say them in a reveiw. thanx for reading!**


	2. Fireworks

FIREWORKS

Aang absolutely loved the forth of July. He loved the fireworks, barbecues, being around friends and family and running around in the dark with sparklers. Right now however he was inside Toph's house, waiting for her to change out of her bathing suit.

"Come on Toph! How long does it take to change!?" he yelled up the stairway.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Said hurriedly, running down the stairs and pulling her long hair into a ponytail.

"God, I thought you were going to make us miss the fireworks!" Aang laughed, following Toph out the front door at a run. They ran down the large front lawn and jumped over the fence, leading to an alley. They ran down the alley and out the back and turning down a dark and deserted back road.

"Tell me again why were going this way," Aang said, jumping over a trash can as they ran.

"It's a short cut," Toph replied from in front of him. It was already dark and the only lights were from the stars and the moon seeing as the lamp posts weren't on this street.

"I can't see anything," Aang said.

Toph growled but said. "Stop whining, we're almost there."

They ran until the lake, were the fireworks would be displayed was in view but suddenly Toph stopped, causing Aang to run into her.

"Toph, what is it?" Aang said , looking at her face. Her eye's were narrowed and focused on the ground. Her hands were curled into fists and she curled up her toes and uncurled them, digging her feet into the dirt. Her right ear twitched.

_Uh-oh _,Aang thought, turning to his right, facing an even darker alley branching off and entering an air bending stance only to be knocked off his feet by the fist which came flying seemingly out of no where. He slammed into the cement wall behind him, and slid to the floor. 

Toph punched forward, sending a boulder towards the person who had hit Aang but he side stepped it, still in the shadows. Toph stomped the ground and kicked outward, splitting the large boulder in two and sending it two different ways- one to the shadows feet and one towards his head. He jumped high enough in the air to leap over the highest boulder but then grabbed it and threw it at Toph. It slammed into her and Aang could see his smirk. It disappeared as the rock turned to dust around Toph, leaving her unharmed.

Aang leaped up, shaking the pain from his head. and summoned the water from the puddles that littered the back alley. One after one her turned them into ice spears and threw them at the opponent, effectively pining him to a wall. Aang let a triumphant grin slide over his face and the intruder struggled against the ice holding him back.

Toph stomped the floor and dragged her hands and elbows down, ripping the man from the ice and sinking him into the ground.

"Mistake." The man said in a deep cold voice. He disappeared into the ground with a laugh. Toph's eye's widened before squeezing them shut. She let out a moan as she clutched her head and fell to her knee's.

"Toph!" Aang exclaimed, running to her side. "Toph, what's wrong?" She didn't respond she just moaned again. Aang swiftly picked her up and leapt up onto the roof of a dingy building. She was shaking slightly, one arm wrapped around his neck another clutching the from of his shirt.

Aang looked down at the alley way angrily, not seeing anyone.

"I'll be right back." Aang said quietly, setting Toph down on the roof.

"No, no, Aang. Let's just go." Toph said urgently, not letting go of Aang's shirt.

"No. I'll be right back, stay here." Toph looked like she was about to argue but Aang leapt from the roof, landing neatly with a cloud of dust. He straightened and at the other end of the alley that branched off of the main one, stood the shadow.

"Like my new trick?" He said with a cruel laugh. "I've been waiting to try it on someone. Thought she would be _perfect._"

Aang barred his teeth, using all his self control to stop him from leaping on this guy.

"Oh, come on, where is she?" he hissed. "You don't get her all to yourself."

That was the last straw. Aang sprang forward, using his air bending to propel himself. He threw his fist forward, but the man ducked and his fist splintered the cement wall like it was nothing. The man kicked out and Aang flew backwards, landing flat on his back.

"Oh, so now we're past bending? Ok then." The man said, pulling out swords that glinted in the moonlight. Aang's eyes widened and he leapt back to his feet. He hadn't bothered bring his staff, thinking they weren't going to do any bending that night. Boy was he wrong.

Aang took a deep breath and sunk himself into the earth. He slid out right behind the man and landed a blow to his head, making him stumble forward a few steps. The man swung around, twirling his swords as he did so.

"That won't even bruise!" He growled, laughter glinting in his voice.

Aang thought in disgust. 

Aang summoned more water and froze it into a stump on front of him. He laid his hand on top of its flat surface and flicked it off as if whipping something off a table. A sharp ice disk flew out but the man deflected it with his sword. Aang repeated this at a much faster pace and soon the man couldn't stop all of them even with earth bending. By the time Aang had used all the ice there were several gashes in the man, across his chest, arms, legs and one deep cut across his cheek, his cloths ripped as well.

The man spit. He slashed his swords and ran forward, dodging the rocks Aang threw. The man got way to close and Aang jumped, flipping over the man, but not high enough to stop him from raising his swords and slicing right into Aang's stomach. Aang landed, one hand clutching his stomach, blood seeping threw.

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From up on the roof, Toph couldn't see anything. 

"Like my new trick?" She heard the man say, laughing. Toph shuddered. "I've been waiting to try it on someone. Thought she would be _perfect._"

Toph thought in disgust. It was quiet for a moment before the man continued. 

"Oh, come on, where is she?" he hissed. "You don't get her all to yourself." Toph's mouth dropped open. She heard fast footsteps.

SMASH

She then heard Aang give a small "Oomph." Before hearing a thud. Nothing for a few seconds before she heard the sound of metal on metal.

"That won't even bruise!" the man said in a growl, laughing a bit.

Toph heard the rush of water and a crackling sound as it froze. Then a sound, reminding Toph of the sound that came from Sokka's boomerang when he sharpened it, shot threw the air, faster and faster. She could also hear the man grunt, swinging his swords around and the grumble of the stubborn earth being moved. The slashing sound stopped and the soft sound of something hitting the ground was heard.

There was the slashing sound of swords and crashes of rock before there was a sickening slicing sound.

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Aang gasped for air, his lungs on fire. He looked up from his crouching position to see the man running at him again. Aang thought bitterly. He stood up unsteadily, suddenly dizzy from the loss of blood. Suddenly Aang had an idea. The man stabbed forward with his swords and Aang jumped up into the air, standing with his feet resting on the sword. Aang stuck his tongue out at the man and jumped off as he tried to shake him off. 

The man slashed forward again as Aang kept dodging. They were now in enough light for Aang to see what the man looked like. He had shaggy, matted dark brown hair and a beard to match. He was a lot taller than Aang with large muscles. His eye's were a steely gold with fire burning inside, feeding him adrenaline.

Aang leapt back, repeatedly dodging the wild swords. Aang did a backhand spring, landing neatly. He continued dodging and laughing playfully.

Aang ran, until his back was up against the wall. The man was furious, probably thinking Aang wasn't taking this seriously, like it was a game. Like what he was doing in the beginning.

The man ignored any of his thoughts and charged forward with so much momentum that he couldn't stop himself in time to save him from hitting the wall after Aang moved. He ran into the wall face first and fell back, a dazed look on his face.

Aang stood back, standing straight, hands folded neatly behind his back, an innocent look on his face. Aang gathered the last of the water through out the alleys and froze it around the man. He then put a cage of earth around him as well, freezing that. Aang then smiled and leapt up to Toph who was looking down at the ground beneath them in awe.

"What just happened?" She asked quietly.

Aang laughed, but ignored the question. "Are you ok? What happened?"

"I really don't know. I was trying to feel for his vibrations but then, it seemed like every vibration was everywhere. I couldn't tell where he was, or where you were or even were I was. I couldn't see and the noise. . . I don't know." Toph said breathlessly, shaking slightly. She shook her head and turned to him.

"What about you?" She asked. Before Aang could reply Toph had set her hand on his stomach. "Your bleeding." She said, feeling the moisture on her hand.

"I'm fine." Aang said but he grimaced and Toph quickly withdrew her hand. Their feet were dangling over the side of the roof and they were facing the lake.

Aang smiled at Toph reassuringly but seeing as she couldn't see it it didn't help. "Aang, we should go find Katara. She'll heal you."

"No, really Toph, I'm fine." Taking hold of Toph's frantically moving hands. "I'm fine." He repeated.

"Your lying." Toph said stubbornly.

"No I'm not." Aang said with a laugh.

"You just lied again." Toph said accusingly.

Aang was about to reply when the first fire cracker shot into the sky with an explosion of cheers from the people below. The green and yellow fire cracker shimmered down until it looked as if you could reach up and grab one, it's sparkles reflecting of the glassy surface of the lake.

Aang beamed up at the sky and Toph smiled slightly, closing her eye's. Aang glanced at Toph and blushed. "You know, a monk- a female monk- once told me that if a girl watches fireworks with a guy them they have to kiss." Aang blushed furiously.

Toph 'looked' towards his face and smiled. "Nice try, Twinkle toes."

Aang blushed even more and looked down. He was suddenly jerked to the side and he felt Toph press her lips to his. When she pulled back he looked at her with a shocked expression and she laughed and leapt from the roof, running towards the lake.

Aang stared after her for a second before smiling.

"Hey get back here!"

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**I never pictured their first kiss to be romantic. I had fun writing this one so i hope you had fun readin it! complaints, joy, hate, ideas, challanges? Tell me!**


	3. Late Night Surprise

Aang was woken suddenly by the bouncing of the bed. He whipped around, seeing Toph, leaning into the bed, her hands pressed into the fabric.

"Hurry it's Katara." She whispered urgently, already half way out of the room. Aang swung himself out of bed and ran after her, catching up in the hallway.

"What's wrong?" He asked, running a hand through his shaggy hair.

"Katara." Toph replied, now jogging down the hallway of the fire nation palace.

"Ok, I get that it's Katara! What's wrong with Katara?!" Aang exclaimed in frustration, desperately trying to keep up with his wife.

"Hey don't talk to me like that, I am not in the mood!" Toph snapped.

Aang sighed remembering what the doctor said about her blood pressure at this stage of pregnancy and shut up. They had been walking for several minutes in silence before Aang realized where they were going.

"Oh, god, is she. . ." He didn't finish his sentence he just stepped into pace with Toph, walking faster into a vast room. Aang opened a door and Toph walked in before him.

Sokka was sitting in a chair bouncing baby Keiko on his knee. Asleep in the chair next to him was Hana. Ty Lee was doing handstands in the center of the room. Iroh was sitting in a chair, fast asleep.

Aang looked down seeing Sayuri pulling at the leg of his pants. Aang picked her up, patting her back lightly.

"What's going on?" Aang asked Sokka as Toph hurried into another room.

"Katara." Sokka said shortly looking down at the giggling 5 month old girl in his lap.

Aang's face reddened and his head throbbed a bit. "Ok, I get that something's wrong with Katara, will you tell me _what _is wrong with her?!" Aang said in a violent whisper.

Sokka smiled at Aang's temper and said, "She's fine." Sokka took a deep breath and said, "She's fine, she's just gone into labor."

Aang's eye's widened slightly. "So Suki and Zuko are with her right?"

"Yeah. Don't see why I have to stay out here, though. . ." Sokka mumbled crossly.

Aang rolled his eye's and turned to Ty Lee. "Why aren't you in there?" He asked.

"Well someone needed to look after the children didn't they? It's not like Sokka and Iroh could tend to three baby girls by themselves." Ty Lee replied with a laugh.

Aang nodded and sat down on the floor, positioning Sayuri in his lap. She only stood up, balancing on his legs and reaching towards Aang's hair, tongue between her teeth. They couldn't hear anything from the room that Toph had entered. It was obviously the room Katara was in.

Everything was quite, seeing as no one really had anything to say. All they could do was wait. Eventually Ty Lee stopped her handstands, a little red in the face and sat down next to Hana, stroking the little girls' short hair. Iroh woke up and left the room, returning several minutes later with a teapot in his hands.

They were waiting for a while, the adults resorting to watching the Hana and Sayuri play after Hana woke up. Keiko was asleep, her head resting on Sokka's arm. They're attention was immediately drawn to the door as a nurse, whom must have already been in the room when Aang arrived, walked out.

She smiled kindly and beckoned them into the room. Aang quickly picked up Hana while Ty Lee stopped Sayuri from making an escape.

They walked into the room, seeing Katara laying on a bed, her face sweaty and red, her hair a mess but with a smile, directed down at the little buddle in her arms. Zuko was sitting next to her, an arm draped around her shoulder. Aang sat Sayuri down next to Katara and Zuko and put an arm around Toph, who was pressing one hand against her back and one on her large stomach, staring down at the baby with a smile on her face.

"What are going to name him?" Suki asked, from a chair on the other side of Katara's bed. Zuko rubbed Katara's shoulder and Katara said, "I think Ryuu is a good name." Katara stopped for a second before adding, "For the Dragon of the West." Everyone smiled warmly at Iroh.

Zuko looked to Toph and asked, "When are you due?"

"Well, I'm at 38 of the 40 weeks so any time now." Toph replied, managing into a chair Aang had pushed over. She jolted ever so slightly, and smiled. "I swear this kid is an earth bender. He kicks about every 5 minutes."

The group laughed and so did Ryuu. Ryuu gazed unsteadily at everyone in the room and he sneezed a small cloud of smoke issuing from his nose.

**

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**To make things easier here are the children that belong to whomever:**

**Toph & Aang's: Shiro, male, (unborn) means son; Akiko, female, (Unborn) - means sparkle, bright, and autumn**

**Katara & Zuko's: Sayuri, female, almost 1 3/4 years old, means lily in Japanese; Ryuu, male, well he was just born so. . . 5 minutes - means dragon; Taiki, male, (unborn) - means great, radiance and shine.**

**Suki & Sokka's: Hana, 4, female, means child; Keiko, 2, female, means celebrate, respect and child**

**Yay! I got all the names down! It took a while too, cause I tried to find ones with definitions that fits their personality. Aren't I specific? There was one that meant manly and pride and i thought it would be a good son for Sokka but I always thought Sokka should only have girls cause he's sexist towards woman (grrrrrrrrrr). And of course Aang is doing pretty much everything and anything for Toph since she's due in like a week and what not. Anywho, hope you liked it! there's more to come!**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me!**


	4. Hide and go Seek

Keiko jumped from rock to rock, looking everywhere she went for a sign of the others. She ignored her stinging knee from when she fell off a rock earlier and happily jumped onto another rock. She heard a crack of a twig and immediately summoned some of the water from the ocean on the other side of the rocks. She smiled evilly. As quick as a flash the water built up into a wave and pummeled the shore, tearing away the bush and revealing anything- or anyone- behind it.

"Hey that's no fair!" Shiro yelled, getting up from a kneeling position.

"Sure it is. Now help find the others." Keiko said stubbornly, jumping to another rock. Shiro complied, running and jumping onto one of the higher rocks.

"It definitely took you long enough." Shiro said with a smirk jumping to a rock next to Keiko.

"Shut up. I fell and hurt my knee." Keiko said, gesturing to her bleeding knee.

"So? That never stopped you before." Shiro replied.

Keiko rolled her eyes. She hated it when he was right. Keiko stopped, pursing her lips.

"SAYURI!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. They heard a squeak and Sayuri tumbled from behind a rock they had passed.

"Well there you are!" Keiko said mockingly, crossing her arms.

Sayuri huffed and brushed the dirt from her cloths. She ran up next the rocks Keiko and Shiro were on but didn't join them.

She fiddled with her signature red ribbon that was always somewhere on her and said. "I was there for a long time. I thought my legs were going to be stuck in that position or something."

Shiro laughed and Keiko scowled. "Hey I hurt my knee!" She said defensively.

Sayuri looked confused for a moment before saying, "So?"

_I hang out with these people way too much, _Keiko thought as she started jumping again. They walked a little, Keiko ignoring any of Shiro's comments, looking down the whole time. She nearly fell off the rocks when she saw Taiki leaning against one. 

"Hey, you were supposed to hide!" Keiko said accusingly.

Taiki looked up at her and shrugged. "I was never too good at this stuff to begin with." He stood up and dusted himself off. "Besides I started getting bored-"

"Okay, okay, I get it, geez." Keiko exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air.

Keiko franticly started hoping from rock to rock, Shiro and Taiki following her and Sayuri running below.

Keiko stopped again, this time causing Shiro to fall off trying not to run into her.

"Hey, what was that for!?" He yelled, jumping back to his feet.

"Shhh. . ." Keiko whispered, putting a finger to her lips. She jumped from the rock, landed hard next to Shiro and straightened up. There was a crack and suddenly a leafy object fell from one of the trees.

Sayuri let out a small scream and the rest of them gaped. Shiro ran forward and started pulling at the branches and leaves and a second later her fell to the ground laughing and other laughter joined him. Akiko sat up from the branches, pulling twigs from her hair.

"Wow am I clumsy." She said, still laughing.

"You were hiding in a tree?" Taiki asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Actually I was hiding in a lot of trees. I couldn't just sit on a branch all that time so I hopped from branch to branch only this one was unsteady and- "

"Okay, let's go." Taiki said, jumping to the ground.

Akiko frowned but smiled again as she jumped up and raced after everyone.

". . . Did find everyone pretty soon." She heard Keiko mutter.

Akiko air bent herself to one of the highest rocks, looking down upon the others. She looked to the ocean and stopped when she say something dark in it.

"Hey Hana!" Akiko said, after jumping into the water.

"No, Akiko shhhhh!" Hana whispered. "Go back to the others."

Akiko tilted her head. "Why?"

"I'm hiding! Now go-"

"Oh, Hana, there you are!" Keiko said from shore. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Hey that's unfair! Akiko found me, not you!" Hana said, pointing to Akiko who smiled.

"Yeah, then I found you. Either way you were found." Keiko replied.

"But _you _were supposed to find me _yourself_!"

"Akiko didn't tell me you were here."

"But you didn't find me by looking. Akiko did!"

"Will you guys stop fighting! It's a stupid game." Ryuu said, appearing form behind a rock.

"Hey, we haven't found you yet! How come your not hiding!?" Shiro asked, from a rock above him.

"I heard all your voices together so I figured I already won. Besides, you wouldn't have been able to find me." Ryuu said smugly, crossing his arms.

Shiro snorted. "Please, you stink at this game. The only reason you won was because you were too much of a baby to hide closer."

"Was not!" Ryuu yelled.

"You should let us hide again!" Hana continued.

"Nuh-uh, no way. We found you!" Keiko yelled back. Akiko frowned and walked over to Sayuri, blocking out the yelling.

"Will you guy's shut up!" Taiki yelled. Everyone froze and looked at him. "It's just a stupid game." He said, sitting down and crossing his legs.

"Now what do we do?"

"Ryuu's it."

"Nuh-uh!"

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**This was a one-shot about the gaangs kids. It's supposed to kind of show their personalities and what they do together. What good friends. But really i guess this is just a bad day. **

**I think the next one will be what they do on a holiday. Maybe christmas even thought its closer to halloween and thanksgiving than christmas. idk.**

**I'm sorry I can not think of what happens next in book 3: fire and i don't want to type another chapter of summetime until i do book 3 and i don't even think i'll be able to finish it before the real 3rd season comes out. If I don't then I prolly wont finish it.**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me!**


	5. Trouble

_**YOU HAVE TO READ THIS TO GET THIS STORY!:**_

**This is like a fast forward of a story I wrote but didn't post. It's kind of a season three because their still trying to bring down the fire lord but everyone is older and they don't have to do all the things they really have to do in season three cause they have lives. So somehow Toph, Katara and Suki got kidnapped and Aang, Zuko and Sokka are trying to find them as well as beat the fire nation.**

**This part is when the guy's have found an underground thing that the fire nation revolves around. It makes weapons, it trains soldiers,and its were they make all their battle plans. It's kind of like the undeground city of Ba Sing Se were the dai lee are and where those Ju-dee's are trained, but made of metal and a lot more dangerous. Without this place the fire nation falls into chaos. They have now found their way in and are planning on bringing it down when something distracts them. . .**

**Aang and Toph are 15, Katara's 16, Sokka and Suki are 17 and Zuko's 18.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

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Aang crept ahead of the others, peering around the corner. Seeing nothing, he turns back to Sokka and Zuko and nodded. The three eased their way around the corner, staying as close to the wall as possible. 

"That's strange," Zuko said, furrowing his brow. "This place is deserted."

"Yeah, last time it was crawling with Dai Lee agents." Sokka said, nodding in agreement.

Aang said nothing, his face dark and his eye's narrowed. They stayed low, winding their way down the narrow hallway. Aang peered around the corner again, expecting to see nothing and does a double-take, his face breaking into a huge smile. Zuko and Sokka came up behind him, looking at his expression with confused looks and looked to where Aang's eye's were directed. They're mouths dropped open.

"TOPH!" Aang yelled happily, stepping forward.

"Wait, Aang, don't!" Sokka and Zuko said in unison, but it was too late. Aang dashed out to the middle of the large room, towards the girl standing in the middle.

"Toph," And said, reaching out to grab her arm.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, throwing his hand away and making him flying back a few feet, landing on his back. When Aang looked back he saw Katara and Suki by Toph's side, all in fighting stances. He didn't notice how distant and fuzzy their eye's looked.

Aang jumped up and Sokka and Zuko ran to his side.

"Toph, it's us," Aang said soothingly.

Toph's eye's narrowed and the girls bodies tensed, as though Aang had threatened them.

Sokka glanced at the others before taking a step forward. That was a mistake. Immediately Toph punched upward then towards Sokka and parts of the roof started falling- boulders fell upon the entire room. Katara gathered the water from a dirty, mucky river that flowed far behind them and gathered it around the three girls. She clenched her hands half shut and the water froze into brown spikes, completely surrounding them. She then flattened her hands and shoved forward and the spikes darted forward, shot straight at the three guys. Suki stabbed one of her swords into the ground, creating cracks that wound they're way forward, making the floor uneven and unstable.

Aang shattered the boulders, not daring to deflect them since they might hit Katara, Toph or Suki. Sokka swiped the ice darts into the ground and Zuko let fire blare out of his feet, heating and then cooling the floor, making cement like floors over the cracks in the ground.

Suddenly they heard clapping and Katara, Toph and Suki stopped, falling out of their stances but not taking their gaze off Aang, Zuko and Sokka.

The three boys looked to where the clapping was coming from and their gaze fell on a cracked balcony.

Zuko growled, "_Azula._"

Azula smirked down at them, stopping her slow clapping. She examined her sharp nails and started talking in a bored tone. "Well, congratulations. I thought you would have died by now. Having fun?"

Aang clenched his teeth, gripping his staff so hard that his knuckles were white. "What have you done to them?!" He yelled, pointing his staff at the three people at the other end of the room.

"Oh, nothing really. It's an interesting thing, though, what a revolving light and a few words can do to a person. Even a _blind _person." Azula replied with a cold laugh.

Aang, Sokka and Zuko growled, taking a step towards Azula but stopped at her next words.

"I wouldn't if I were you. You see, I have three very special bodyguards, and I severely doubt you would want to get on their bad side." Azula sneered. Suddenly Katara, Suki and Toph ran, leaping up on to the balcony and standing in front of Azula with their arms crossed.

Sokka, Aang, and Zuko recoiled slightly. They heard muttering and it was obvious that it was Azula. Suki, Toph and Katara smirked evilly and Suki and Katara leaped away, sprinting in opposite directions. Sokka sprinted after Suki while Zuko went for Katara.

Aang stayed, looking at the only other person in the room.

Toph.

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**Okay, I have some explaining to do. if you didn't read the top then do it now! for those who did, you are good people. ok the next chapter will be fights between everyone. Oh, and I would post the second part until I get, i don't know, 5 reveiws? thanks!**

**Oh and the stories are going to jump back and forworth. There will be modern AU's, future ones, ones of their kids, ones from the past, ones from when their traveling to gether and everything really.**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me!**


	6. Trouble pt 2

**This is for Critiquer876- a summary for what has happened so far:**

**The gaang is traveling along in the fire nation, trying to get to the very center (where the capital is) without being seen or caught. Things are going well but Sokka gets mad 'cause the girls say that he doesn't do anything and Zuko gets mad because they say he **_**can't **_**do anything, so they go to the market to get the food. Aang goes with them to make sure they get fruit and not too much meat.**

**They hear a fight but the people in the town start to panic, causing a delay in getting back. When they do get back, The campsite is in dissaray, Appa and Momo were gone, Iroh was injured and the girls were gone. They found Appa and Momo very soon afterwards but couldn't find the girls. Iroh insisted that they keep moving, so he isn't treated for his wounds and he becomes ill.**

**The group is still traveling, having a hard time looking for the girls because they can't ask anyone or they're cover will be blown and same with treating Iroh. They do manage to destroy some important fire nation ports along the way, with the fire nation thinking that it was accidental or a normal break down. They come to one of the most important trading ports in the Fire Nation and they decide to take it out. They watch for one the ships people to leave but they only return minutes later with lots of new stuff. The same things happen with other ships. The gaang then decided to try and see where people are getting all of this stuff so quickly and they follow one group of people to the base of a volcano where, only a couple times a day for only a couple minutes a space opens up and people go and get their stuff. **

**They sneak in by hiding in a pile of peices of armor in need of repair and sneak around until they eventually find a large room with tons of weapons and another with a war balloon being made. The place is literally crawling with Dia Lee members so thats why they thought it was wierd that the place was deserted. They leave and come back again the next day, following the same path that they did the day before but going farther and deeper down in the volcano. Thats when Aang sees Toph. Oh and just to make things more angsty, the girls dissappeared just as they started getting real feelings for eachother. I'm so mean.**

**I really hope that helps any who are confused about what happens earlier.**

**Azula just did one of her magic dissappearence tricks at the end of the chapter before this.**

* * *

Aang stared in disbelief as Toph dropped into a fighting stance, a smirk one her face.

"Come on Twinkle Toes, since your going to loose you might as well loose respectfully." Toph called out.

Aang jolted slightly when he heard her say his nick-name.

"I'm not going to fight you, Toph." Aang said calmly, sitting down and crossing his legs. Toph's smirk dropped, only to be replaced by disgusted look.

"What, you think your too good to fight a blind girl?!" she screamed, leaping down from the balcony.

"Oh course she would think that." Aang sighed.

"_What?!_" Toph yelled, a little red in the face.

"Of course she would _hear_ that." Aang mumbled.

Toph growled, and stomped the ground with the side of her foot, sending a shock waved that traveled through the ground and caused a large rock to jut up underneath him. Aang neatly flipped off if it, landing behind Toph.

Toph spun around to face him as soon as he landed. Another rock shot up underneath Aang's feet and Aang bent himself high up in the air.

"Where'd you go." He heard her mumble from below. Aang gasped in realization and a rock was shot up incredulously at him. He dodged it roughly and fell to the ground. Toph sent another rock his way but he jumped into the air again.

_She's fighting like the very first time we actually met. That time in the arena. _Aang thought to himself, trying to keep the air ball from dispersing completely.

"Come on, stand and fight you coward!" Toph yelled to the ceiling in general.

Aang snorted and another boulder was sent his way. Aang dropped to the ground, landing neatly but not in a stance.

"You don't remember me do you?" Aang asked quietly.

Toph's brow contracted, her unseeing eye's burning with fire.

"How could I forget," She spat and her lip twitched. "The man who took me away from my parents for _three years._"

Aang gaped at her. "Wha- Toph you ran away!" Aang exclaimed.

Toph huffed and said, "Yeah, right. And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Well, yeah-" Aang stopped and bit his lip. _She really doesn't remember. . ._

* * *

Zuko sprinted after Katara, dissolving any ice she threw over her shoulder. Zuko had caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Katara-" He was cut off as Katara whirled around and slapped him across the face. He let go, his face stinging and Katara laughed before turning and running again.

Zuko stood there in shock before what just happened registered in his brain. He ran after her again, not gaining the ground he had before.

He ran into a room and almost fell into the sludgy lake. _So this is where that river came from. . ._

There was a small space surrounding the lake but Zuko only had enough room to walk sideways. He knew Katara had gone this way. He strained his eye's to see the other side of the lake and sure enough there stood the blue clad figure, water swirling around her.

"What's the matter? Afraid of a little water?" Katara called out, a small smile on her lips.

Zuko scowled. There was no way he was _swimming _in this water and the ledge is too narrow for him to walk the whole way. And there was no way he was going to throw fire at her.

"Damn it." Zuko muttered, looking into the sludgy water. He grimaced slightly as some of the sludge flipped, making a gross _squish_ sound.

"Oh, you don't want to get dirty I see." Katara said mockingly, feigning concern. "Poor little Princey."

Zuko was now grinding his teeth, still looking around the room for anything that could snap Katara out of it.

"Katara, what the hell is wrong with you!? Sure you can be stupid but still!" Zuko shouted. "I thought you were smarter than this."

Katara's eye's narrowed and the water drifting around her snapped a bit.

Zuko smirked. "What, your not used to being called stupid?" He called out again, this time teasing her.

Katara clenched her fists and lowered her head, trembling slightly and some of the water of the lake in front of her froze.

"That's a surprise to me." Zuko continued, crossing his arms. Katara's head snapped up, her braid whipping out slightly. She threw her hands out in front of her and raised them high above her. By the time they were above her head ever single drop of water was raised high in a very large wave.

Zuko started backing away into the hallway he had come from, his eye's wide. He stopped at the mouth of the tunnel and clenched his fists. He cried out as he punched forward with fire enveloping his entire right arm. The water dispersed around him and he looked towards Katara who dropped her surprised look immediately.

Water was covering the small area surrounding the lake and Katara immediately froze it. Zuko merely let the ice melt under his feet. Katara scowled, looking at Zuko like he was a bit of slime stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"What one earth did Azula tell you?" Zuko said, his voice a lot softer and sadder.

"Tell me? She didn't need to tell me anything." Katara said cruelly, still glaring at Zuko.

"Is this about what happened three years ago?" Zuko said, his eye's widening a bit.

If possible, Katara got even more mad. "What happened was more than three years ago."

* * *

"Suki, what the hell are you doing?!" Sokka exclaimed, avoiding Suki's fans once more. Suki said nothing but swiped at him, making a deep gash in his arm. Sokka's other hand flew to the wound, backing up as he did so.

"Suki?" Sokka said causously. Her eye's glinted and she flicked her fans again. She jabbed one fan at Sokka but he kicked out, knocking the fan from her hand. Suki threw her other fan to the ground and grabbed the swords from the sling across her back. Suki ran forward, stabbing her right sword at Sokka. Sokka ducked to the left and Suki brought her left sword to Sokka's shoulder.

Sokka gasped as the sword sliced into the skin, and his blood spurted out. He ground his teeth together, ignoring the pain that was slowly spreading through our his whole body. He straightened up again, gazing determinedly at Suki. Sokka now darted forward and Suki was about to bring her sword to him again, when he put his shielded wrists out, blocking the sword with a shower of sparks.

Sokka dived to the side and snatched up the fan that Suki had abandoned. She had already done away with his boomerang and Sokka couldn't help but be furious with how short of time it took to do so. Suki's heavy swords where hanging at her side, the tips still pointed directly at Sokka.

They slowly started to circle each other, and Sokka gulped. He didn't want to hurt her, so he needed to protect himself and her at the same time.

"So know you hate me again." Sokka said. It was more of a statement than a question.

Suki laughed. "When did I ever stop?"

"Oh, I don't know like maybe when we kissed for the first time or the second time or-"

"SHUT UP!" Suki yelled, throwing one of her swords at him. Sokka froze, not expecting this and his shoulder was pinned to the wall. She threw her other sword and it pined his other shoulder. Suki drew out her last sword and slowly stepped towards Sokka.

"How can you side with _Azula?_" Sokka asked incredulously. "She killed all you friends! All the other Kyoshi Warriors!"

Suki flinched and her eye's snapped open wider, only to fall back into a glare.

"The only reason she left you alive was because she thought you were going to die anyway. She left you to die!"

Suki grinded her teeth, her free hand clenching and unclenching itself.

"You had to bury all of your friends alone."

"Will you shut up!" she screamed in fury.

"You know it's true!" Sokka yelled back. "Now what have I done?"

"Your a sexist, pigheaded, amateur of a warrior!" Suki yelled back, her entire body shaking.

"Okay, I didn't ask _what _I am." Sokka said, slightly annoyed that that's how she remembers him. "What did I do to you."

Suki froze, only inches from him. Her body was shaking violently and her eye's flashed. She raised her sword at him with a trembling arm and she drew her arm back. Then, she collapsed.

* * *

Zuko would have been having fun if not for how serious the situation was. He had been avoiding everything Katara threw at him, wearing her down without throwing a single blow and he could see her get more mad with each missed attack.

Zuko stopped smirking however when he remembered what she had said minutes ago, before trying to knock him into the lake again.

"Hey Katara!?" Zuko called out to her, like they were back at the campsite and none of this was happening.

She let out a scream of fury as Zuko countered another one of her tricks.

"What did you mean by 'What happened was more than three years ago.'? I didn't know you before that." Zuko said, dodging a jet of water that collided with the wall behind him.

"Hmph. The Fire Nation took everything from me. . ." Katara growled so low that Zuko could barely hear her through the shattering of ice over his head. "My mother, and brother, my father went to fight. . ."

Zuko raised his one eyebrow in confusion. "Katara- your brother is still here! He was the pony-tail guy!"

Katara snorted and whipped water out from the side, this time making Zuko's feet fly out from underneath him.

"Right, okay." Katara said with triumph in her voice. It turned cold again as she said, "Even if that was true what about my mom?! And my dad! Am supposed to just forget that it was the Fire Nations fault I pretty much lost my parents in childhood? Not to mention you killed Aang!"

Zuko was about to jump to his feet but ice froze him in place, stopping him momentarily. Zuko still looked into Katara's face, who was oblivious to the fact that he was steadily melting the ice around him.

"Azula's Fire Nation! I'm banished and she's the princess! And that was Aang you were fighting too!"

"Azula's on our side. She wants the Fire Nation died, too." Katara growled back, ignoring the bit about Aang and raising tons of water above her head.

This caused Zuko's eyebrow to shoot up again. "Well that's news to me." He muttered. Much louder, he said, "I didn't do those things! Some other soldier, at the command of another person, killed your mother, your father went to fight the Fire Nation at Chameleon bay! And It was Azula that _almost _killed Aang!"

Katara shook her head and let her hands fall to her side. The water above her pummeled down on her and she was knocked into the lake, breaking through the ice that had surrounded her.

Zuko ripped himself from the rest of the ice and dove into the disgusting lake. He swam to where Katara fell in to see a bloody patch on the rough stone border. Like she hit her head when she fell. Zuko dived down the best he could through the slime that swirled around him and he saw Katara drifting feet below him, looking as if she were asleep.

Zuko swam down and wrapping one arm around her waist, using the other to propel them to the surface. When he broke the surface he gasped in the grimy air, desperately trying to catch his breath. He looked down at Katara, seeing that her eye's were still closed and that she wasn't breathing.

With a grunt, Zuko hoisted Katara up on the narrow ledge, one of her arms having to dangle in the water. Zuko stepped in the space above her head and kneeled down. He really had no clue how to do CPR.

_But I guess I'm about to learn. _Zuko thought. He hurriedly did as he had seen once before, when on his ship years ago and one of the crew members went overboard.

He pinched her nose and placed his mouth over hers, taking any breath he had and breathing out. He drew back and laid his hands over her heart, giving it two small pushes.

He'd swear, the coughing and spluttering that came afterward was the most beautiful sound he had every heard in his life.

* * *

Toph lifted a boulder from the ground and kicked outward, launching it at Aang with incredible speed.

"Come on, throw something at me!" Toph challenged. Aang did nothing once again and dodged it, floating to another spot before landing lightly.

Toph growled and made weird fluttering motion with her hands and suddenly she sunk into the earth. Aang tensed, slowly revolving on the spot. A turned to see Toph right in front of him and he jumped back but not before Toph charged at him, toppling both him and her to the ground.

Aang grunted as he landed and winced as he felt pressure on his stomach. Toph had her knee's on either side of him, holding a spike of rock at his throat. Her eye's screamed hatred and death. He felt rock cuffs surround his hand and feet and a crackling sound as they crystallized, sending a weird light over the dim room.

"Your going to regret the day you took me away from my home." She growled, the spike now digging into his neck, causing a small line of blood to trail down his neck and onto the dirt floor.

Aang gulps, only sending a sharp pain through his throat.

"Toph," He croaked. "You have to believe me. I'm your friend."

"Friends don't abduct each other." She hissed.

"They don't kill each other either." Aang said quietly, staring at Toph.

"I guess that proves it. We aren't friends."

Aang wretched his hands from the crystal, and knocked the spike away as it started to plunge into is skin. Toph was thrown to the side, the spike falling from her hand.

Aang then rolled on top of her, wrapping his hands around her wrist, trying to stop her from wriggling free so she could earth bend.

"Toph, _listen to me." _Aang said forcefully, tightening his grip on her wrists. She spat in his face and Aang grimaced.

Toph smirked, but didn't stop trying to worm her way from his hands. She grunted as she lifted her hands up but Aang slammed them back into the ground. He knew that this was probably hurting her but he also knew what would happen if he let her go.

"Toph." Aang said again. "I didn't take you away from your family. You ran away." Toph's movement was less forceful but Aang still had to work to keep his grib on her wrists. "We wanted you to come travel the world with us but your parents wouldn't allow it. We were about to leave when you ran up to us saying your parents changed their minds."

Toph's lips were tightened into a thin line and she was only fighting halfheartedly now. Aang continued but in a much softer voice. "Your parents were keeping you hidden from the world when all you wanted was to get out and show everyone who you could be. Your parents were going to keep you locked inside that place forever."

"NO!" Toph shouted suddenly, pulling her hands out of Aang loosened grip. She swung her hand around and hit Aang across the face, sending him backwards and off of her.

Toph jumped up and steadily started backing away, shaking her head.

"Toph," Aang said slowly as he steadily got up from the floor.

Toph shook her head more. "Don't come near me." Toph whispered, still backing away.

"Toph, you know I'm right." Aang pleaded, stepping towards her.

"Shut up, you liar!" Toph yelled, stumbling a bit as she backed away.

_Has she completely forgotten her bending. . .?_ Aang thought. She must have. She would have normally flattened him by now.

"Your able of telling if I'm lying. Am I?" Aang said as he stopped walking. He stood there staring at her with a helpless look in his eyes. Toph stopped backing up as well, her eyes slightly downcast. Her face showed disbelief and pain as she slowly looked up.

"It doesn't matter anymore." She said quietly. The whole room seemed to be vibrating and chunks of the wall and ceiling were coming out. Her eyes hard and cruel again. All the rocks and boulders and pebbles in the room hovered in midair until they were all flung at Aang.

Aang jumped and twisted and bent, trying to stop the boulders, but they wouldn't listen to him. He was knocked off his feet and he slid several yards, sliding to a stop at Toph's feet.

Aang heard a sound coming far off from the side and he turned slightly to see Sokka and Suki running out from the doorway on the high balcony.

"Aang!" Sokka yelled, leaning over the railing. Suki looked completely winded as she leaned against the railing for support.

"Aang, you have to get her to remember the life she had before this!" Sokka yelled, looking as if he was about to flip off the railing. Aang looked back up at Toph who was staring at Sokka with a weird expression.

Aang jumped up and Toph jumped back, her eye's wide with surprise. Aang reached a hand out, touching her cheek and she flinched but didn't back away.

When she didn't throw his hand away, Aang took a step forward, his face only inches from Toph's. Her face was still hard and cold, but softened slightly and his breath made her bangs flutter. He looked back up at Sokka, who was looking at him expectantly. So Aang ducked forward and pressed his lips to Toph's. He felt her jump and start to pull away but he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in place. She was pushing on his chest slightly but Aang only held her tighter.

After a second, which really felt like hours, Toph gave into the kiss, and Aang pulled away, looking at Toph's surprised face.

"That's not really what I meant, but okay!" Sokka shouted from the balcony.

* * *

**I am soooooo sorry, I meant to post this yesterday! My mom however had other plans, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Anyhwo, I did some revising and editing anyway. Thank you to all my wonerful reveiws for the previous chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one!**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me!**


	7. Meet the Kiddies

Toph sighed, stroking Akiko's hair as she slept in her lap. Aang glanced at her from Appa's head, a small smile on his face.

"Okay, what's with the sigh?" Aang asked, resting his head on the top of the saddle.

Toph pursed her lips, stopping Shiro from getting up. At the moment they were flying over a vast ocean with no shores in sight and he wasn't even two yet. Aang jumped into the saddle and picked Shiro up and sat him on his lap.

"It's just. . . the last time we saw my parents was at our wedding and that was three years ago. Now we have two kids! And. . ." Toph trailed off, rubbing her stomach.

Aang smiled again. "Toph, it's going to be fine. Your parents will be happy."

"You don't understand. Every time I go back there it's like I'm that twelve year old girl again, always needing to be watched and helped and guarded. Now they are going to do the same thing to our kids."

"No they won't. Their our kids and they can't tell us how to raise them." Aang replied, trying to keep Shiro's tight grip off his hair.

Toph snorted but didn't say anything. She continued to stroke Akiko's soft hair, a small smile playing across her lips. Aang looked at her for a moment, before Shiro kicked him and Aang looked down at the little boy. Aang tickled his sides and Shiro laughed, trying to wriggle away.

* * *

It was already well past midnight and Aang was still awake. Land was still no where in sight and Appa couldn't sleep in the water without throwing everyone into it. Aang peered over his shoulder at his family, seeing all three of them asleep. Shiro was hugging to Toph's arm like a teddy bear and Akiko was snuggling into Toph's side. Toph's head resting on a sack, a peaceful smile on her lips. 

Aang smiled as Toph let out a sigh through her nose and turned back to pat Appa's head.

"Alright buddy, we're almost there." He said, hugging to the bison's head like he had when he was young. Appa groaned in response. After a while Appa slowed but upon seeing land in the distance he sped forward.

Toph was jerked awake and she felt Shiro and Akiko sleeping next to her so she didn't move. "Hey Twinkle Toes!" Toph called out softly. Aang turned to her, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Come here." Toph said quietly, patting the space next to Shiro. Aang airbent himself up and into the saddle, next to Toph with Shiro imbetween them.

"Is it still nighttime?" Toph asked quietly.

"Yeah, we'll be on land in only a couple of minutes." Aang replied, stroking some of Toph's bangs away from her face. She nodded and rested her head on Aang's shoulder contently.

* * *

When Aang woke up, he had to squint in the bright sun light. He looked around to see that Toph, Shiro and Akiko were still asleep and that Appa has landed a little away from a port. He recognized the area immediately. 

"Hey, Toph," Aang whispered, moving his shoulder a bit. "we're here."

Toph moaned but lifted her head from Aang's shoulder. Shino moaned as well, before starting to cry. Akiko's eyes snapped open and she too began to cry. Toph sighed and let Aang take Shiro from her and she cradled Akiko in her arms.

"You just had to wake me up." Toph muttered, leaping from Appa.

"Toph, be careful!" Aang called, still calming down Shiro. Toph rolled her eyes and bounced Akiko a little more.

"Same old Twinkle Toes." Toph said with a laugh and Akiko just sniffed.

She felt Aang's light feet hit the ground and run up next to her, Appa lumbering behind them. Shiro had queited down but Akiko was still sniffing as they made their way into the city of Gaoling.

Aang couldn't help but notice that Toph's face was hard. She kept shifting Akiko on her hips, but never loosened her grip.

"Toph, come on, It can't be that bad. We'll only be there a a couple of days anyway." Aang said in an attempt to comfort her. Toph said nothing but just kept walking, now walking at a slower pace.

Aang smiled and shifted Shiro to hold him with one arm and he wrapped his arm across her shoulders, keeping her next to him. Akiko let her head fall back and she looked up at her dad and smiled.

After what seemed like an hour of walking and taking turns holding Shiro and Akiko, They reached the front gates to the huge Bei Fong estate. Toph heaved a great sigh and Aang rubbed her arm.

"State your business." a tall burly guard said from the other side of the gate.

Toph raised her eyebrow but said, "I'm Toph Bei Fong, here to see my parents."

It was the guards turn to raise an eyebrow. "Can I see some verification?"

Toph's face twitched and she handed Akiko to Aang. A minute later the guard was laying unconscious in a bush and Toph and Aang were walking up the wide path leading to the mansion.

"Uh, maybe you shouldn't have done that." Aang said, peering over his shoulder at the bushed the guard had landed in.

"Don't worry, the bushes will be fine." Toph said, waving her hand as if trying to swipe away a bug.

"Well it's not exactly the bush I was worried about."

Toph rolled her eyes again and straightened out her slim clothes. They walked around a small pond and down another path, the large house looming in front of them, shining in the sunlight.

Without a word Toph opened the large doors, walking ahead of Aang who was still carrying both Shiro and Akiko.

Aang watched as Toph turned a corner far ahead of him and heard a _bang _as another set of doors were slammed open. There was the sound of shattering glass soon followed by someone screaming, "TOPH!"

Aang hurried forward, around the corner, down a hall and into a room Aang recognized as the one he had been in when Toph first told her parents she was an earth bender. Toph was being embraced by her mom, Poppy, who looked as if she would never let go. Lao was standing slightly back and he was the first to notice Aang. He turned to the avatar and gave him a bow and Aang returned it the best her could, with a child on each side of him.

Aang looked back up, seeing Poppy looking at the babies in awe and Toph coming to stand next to him. She took Shiro, who wrapped his arms around her neck and hid his face in the collar of her dress.

"Mom. . . Dad. . . this is Shiro, your grandson." Toph said quietly, but the pride was clear in her voice. Poppy bent over a bit to look at the babies face and smiled kindly but Shiro only hid his face again. Toph chuckled and rubbed his head.

"And who is this?" Poppy asked, now walking towards Aang and Akiko.

"This is Akiko." Aang said, one hand holding Akiko up, the other having one of the fingers bitten and Akiko chewed on it, not even having teeth yet. Akiko actually looked back at Poppy as she looked at the little girls face. Poppy ran a hand across Akiko's cheek and she smiled, Aang's fingers still in her mouth. Poppy drew back a smile on her face and her eyes very bright.

"I'm very glad you have visited us." Lao said, standing next to his wife.

Toph nodded and said, "We're only going to stay a couple of days. A week at the most. Aang and I have some very important things to work out in the Ba Sing Se."

"Well what about the children?" Poppy asked innocently, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"They'll come with us of course." Toph said, like it was obvious. Her parents brows contorted in unison but neither said a thing.

"Well, why don't you go clean yourselves up. When your ready we'll have an early lunch."

* * *

After Toph and Aang were escorted to their room to wash up, Toph grunted and sat Shiro down on the counter, keeping a hold on his back. 

"I can't believe I'm back here." She growled, dampening a towel and cleaning up Shiro's hands and face. Aang smiled.

"It's not for long and it's not like we come here all the time." Aang said, hopping up on the counter next to Toph, sitting Akiko on his lap who started trying to get at the bowl of water next to her.

"Their gonna start babying all of us, I just know it." Toph said, wringing out the towel and drying Shiro's face.

"Hey you baby Shiro and Akiko all the time." Aang said, mockingly, trying to keep Akiko from tumbling from his arms as she squirmed.

"I do not!" Toph exclaimed, throwing the towel to the side. She took Akiko and got another towel, wetting it and then rubbing Akiko's face.

"Uh-huh." Aang said with a smile, letting Shiro lean against him. "And you certainly weren't babying them when you wash them three times a day or when you wouldn't let Shiro stand up on Appa, or when you wouldn't loosen your grip on Akiko a bit because we were in a large crowd."

Toph glared at him. "I let them do a lot more then I could at their age."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like go outside, or roll down hills, or play in snow, or play with other kids, or feed themselves-"

"Hey, you do not let them feed themselves." Aang teased.

"That's because they can't get the food in their mouth." Toph said with a smile, sitting next to Aang with Akiko sitting next to her. Aang smiled as well as he rubbed Shiro's back, and Shiro's eye's steadily started to close.

"I think it's time for someone's nap." Aang said, getting down from the counter and walking out of the bathroom and into the large bed room.

"Where are we going to put them down? Our parents weren't exactly expecting us. Or babies for that matter." Toph said, following Aang into the bedroom, Akiko already dozing on her shoulder.

Aang walked over to the huge bed and crawled to the very middle, setting Shiro down among the many blankets and pillows. "Don't know if we'll be able to find them in all these blankets but they definatley won't roll off." Aang said, feeling Toph crawl in behind him. Toph crawled across from him and carefully set down Akiko, some of her hair falling out of it's place behind her ears. Aang was right, the babies sunk into the blankets, creating a very convenient crib.

Aang crawled next to Toph who had sat down by Akiko and then laid down so his head was in her lap, like a little kid sitting in their mothers lap, about to hear a bedtime story. Toph smiled and ran a finger through his hair, leaning back against the headboard of the bed and sighed.

"Now we have to go to _dinner." _Toph moaned like it was the worst thing in the world.

* * *

**I really think that this thing is turning into short stories instead of oneshots. And yeah this one is a lot more boring than the one before but don't think that they are all like this. This is mostly of Toph being motherly in her own way. Aren't they cute? I actually had fun writing this, don't ask me why cause i dont know.**

**By the way there is something _hidden _in this and if you can figure it out you get a cookie! And if you do then you have to vote on which of the two they are. There's the hint people. And pls guess! otherwise I can't do what I was planning on doing! And no, this is not going to be continued, sorry if anyone got the idea and i fixed it! hopefully its not such a run-on story.**

**Okay now seriously: Complaints, joy, hate, _challenges, ideas_? pls tell me!**


	8. Only When It Rains

**Yes, I did delete the last one, and I doubt any of you are complaining. Honestly, I didn't like it either, I don't even know why I posted it. Boredom I guess. I might do something similar and hopefully better.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the characters. at all. ever.**

* * *

The rain collided with the window softly as Toph woke up slowly, and she blinked a few times to clear her head of the fog that had taken over her. 

"Your awake." Someone said from slightly above her.

"M-hmm," Toph mumbled, nestling her head further into Aang's shoulder. Aang smiled down at her as she closed her eyes again.

Only about an hour ago, Aang and Toph were sitting on their bed, trying to figure out the paper work that Aang was supposed to fill out. After only about an hour into it Toph had fallen asleep on Aang's shoulder and Aang gave up on the paper work for that night.

Aang smiled more as he took the end of her long hair and stroked it against her cheek. Toph smiled and swatted at him. "Stop it, I'm tired."

"Uh-huh." Aang said, running the tip of her hair across her cheek again.

"Twinkle Toes!" Toph said, lifting her head and trying to stop him from getting her again. "Your annoying you know that?"

"Yeah." Aang said with a smile, swipping her hair against her cheek again. Toph sent him a glare that was ruined by her smile and she laid her head back down on his shoulder.

"Hey, Toph?" Aang said quietly, looking down at the earthbender.

"Yeah?" She mumbled.

"How would you want someone to do something. . . like if they were trying to do something special for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, like if someone. . . er. . . wanted to tell you something. . . no, ask you something. . . something important. . . how would you want them to ask you?"

Toph lifted her head once again, her sightless eyes penetrating his. "That depends, doesn't it. If it's something business-y then I don't care. If it's like telling a secret then it depends on what the person wants."

Aang sighed. "No I mean if someone wanted to ask you something really, really, _really _important. If _I _wanted to ask you something important."

Toph smiled, twirling a strand of her hair imbetween her fingers. "I don't know."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Come on Toph, I know you too well, you can't lie to me."

Toph stuck her tongue out at him. "If you mean _romantic. . ._" Toph paused, remembering how Aang had first told her that he loved her. . .

_YAY!!!!!!! FLASHBACK!-_

_Toph sat at the edge of a fountain, trailing her fingers through the crystal clear water. She felt some of the mist from the fountain hit her face and she smiled softly. Her smile turned to a frown again as she remembered what was waiting for her inside. Suitors._

_She couldn't believe her parents would do this to her _again. _But then, this shouldn't have come as a shock. She squinted her eyes, a single tear making it's way down her pale cheek. She whipped it away with the sleeve of her dress and stood up. Instead of making her way back to the house, she made her way to a different garden, one that had long since been her favorite._

_She walked across the stone bridge, running her fingers over the smooth stone. She didn't pause to look into the water below, as there was no point. Instead she just sat down at the edge, her feet hanging over the water. She put her face in her hands and sighed, shaking slightly as she held back a sob._

_She couldn't believe that she was going to have her life taken away, just as she had finally gotten one. She had already met all the guys. They were either wimpy and snobbish, or controlling and only in this for the money and connections. She hated all of them. And now she had to choose for one to spend her entire life with. She was only sixteen and frankly, she didn't want to get married yet._

_"Toph," Toph jumped when she heard her name, not paying attention and she twisted in the spot. Her hip slid from the stone railing and she fell back. She felt something grab at her, but that didn't stop her from falling into the water below._

_"Toph!" The person yelled and she heard splashing next her and then someone's hand on her arm._

_"I'm fine!" She snapped. "The water's only five inches deep." She stood up, her dressed soaked, and if it wasn't for the many layers it would have been completely see through. She sighed angrily but stopped as she finally felt the persons vibrations, her eye's snapping open wide._

_"What are you doing here?" She asked shakily, dropping the fabric in her hands._

_Aang squinted his eyes slightly, biting his lip. "I just. . . I was leaving and then I thought. . . I don't know what I thought, honestly, but I knew I made a mistake."_

_"A mistake? Well duh! You just dropped me off here to be raffled off to some desperate guys!" She shouted at him, throwing her hands to her side._

_"I know. . . I just thought you would be safe-"_

_"Great, now your turning into my parents!"_

_"Toph, please, you have to understand!"_

_"Understand what? That you think I'm incompetent? That I can't defend myself?"_

_"No Toph, listen-"_

_"No you listen! I am done with everything that has to do with my world! I'm done with weak people thinking their stronger than me, I'm tired of people always thinking they need to protect me, always having to save me from the danger of something as simple as cooling down my own food! I can't even open a stupid peanut with out someone rushing up to help me!" Toph yelled, now red in the face. "I'm tired of having someone hovering over my shoulder, just waiting for me to mess up. I don't always want to wear this stupid make-up and fancy clothes that I'll only wear once just to show off for someone my parents like."_

_Aang stood there, taking everything she threw at him, watching as tears started to pour feely from her eyes._

_"Toph," Aang's said quietly, slightly surprised when Toph actually stopped and closed her mouth tightly, as though afraid everything would just spill out of her if she opened it a bit._

_"Toph, I didn't bring you here to have you be courted or judged or to ruin your life. I just. . . I can't have another thing to worry about."_

"_And why would you worry about me. I fought on the day of black sun and you said that you weren't worried about any of us coming out of that alive. Now the wars over, and your protective? Why?" Toph said, this time her voice was soft and inquiring._

"_Things are still so dangerous. We don't know where Azula is and everyone is still rebelling."_

"_That still doesn't answer my question. Why are you being so protective over me?" Toph said, taking a step up to him, gesturing to herself._

_Aang sighed and looked down at his toes, which he could see through the water. "They can't know. If they know, then they'll come after you. They won't stop until they have you." He said quietly._

"_Why?" Toph said, now getting slightly annoyed._

_Aang looked up at her, a hard look on his face. "I love you, Toph."_

_END FLASHBACK_

Toph sighed again but then snapped her head towards Aang. "You can't laugh." She said sharply, jabbing a finger at his chest.

"I won't laugh." Aang promised. Toph leaned against him, pulling her knees to her chest and closing her eyes. She started talking when Aang put his arm around her.

"When I first wake up in the morning, still in your arms from when we fell asleep. And it's raining outside. Not a thunder and lighting storm just a soft rain, where it's still light outside." Toph didn't really know why she wanted it to be light outside. She just wanted it to be warm, since she could actually feel it. She had thought about this before, not that she really had a choice with a best friend like Katara.

"Well how about night?" Aang asked suddenly.

"What?" Toph asked, clearly startled since she was furrowing her brow.

Aang smiled and leaned over the side of the bed and bringing up a necklace with a light green ribbon and a white pendant, with particular signs engraved into it.

Toph's eye's widened as she ran her fingers over the stone.

"Toph, will you marry me?"

* * *

**Grrrrrr, I think Toph is a little bit _too _mushy but still. I think it'll work for now. I think she can be like this if she wanted to, she just chose not to. I actually liked how this turned out, and I've been dying to do a one-shot on when Aang proposes. I hope you like!** **Oh, and in this fic their like seventeen. I'm sticking with the whole 'marrying age at sixteen'.** **And its still too short! I don't like those one-shots that you don't even have to scroll down to read. . . grrrrrrrrr. . .**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me!**


	9. Preview

Toph stopped at the top of the stairs leading from the plane and sighed. She gazed into the small crowd at the foot of the stairs, scanning each face. She shook her head lightly and started down the stairs on unsteady legs. She shouldn't have been expecting anyone. They were all very busy and that was why she was here anyway.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she tucked her bangs behind her ears and tugged at the bottom of her jacket. She glanced around once more before heading to get her luggage.

Once again she was starring. She watched as the familiar landscape opened up before her and memories unfurled themselves from a forgotten corner of her head.

"Ma'am? Ma'am!" Toph snapped her head towards the driver of the taxi, who had turned in his seat and was looking at her. "We're here." He said.

Toph nodded absentmindedly and opened the door jerkily. As soon as the luggage was out of the trunk and the money was handed over, the taxi speed away, turning the corner sharply and disappearing. Toph watched as it went before turning to the house before her. The same stone front porch and the pale blue house, the large front windows open and the lace curtains blowing in the slight breeze that made Toph's hair flutter around her.

The same scent carried itself from the open front door and over to Toph as though egging her inside. Chocolate chip cookies. Toph closed her eyes, mesmerized in the memories that the familiar smell brought her. Every Friday, the same people at the same house eating the same cookies. Ever since she was little. The tall oak trees that stood in the middle of the space on each side of the walkway leading to the front door cast shadows over Toph, saving her from the blazing summer sun above.

"Hello? Do you need something?" Toph's eyes snapped open as the voice called out and a thin girl with wavy, chocolate brown hair and clear, deep blue eyes and dark skin stood in the doorway, one hand resting on the door frame.

Toph didn't say anything, but as soon as her eyes opened, the girl screamed and leapt from the front porch and charged at her, crushing her with a hug and Toph was sure she heard her back crack.

"Oh my god, Toph, look at you!" Katara said, pulling away and taking a step back, taking Toph in. Toph looked down at herself, then up at Katara. She was a good three inches taller but other than that, Katara hadn't changed that much. If Katara hadn't changed then Toph doubted she did.

"You look so different, so. . . grown up!" Katara said with a laugh. Katara smiled warmly at her old friend before taking hold of her wrist and pull her towards the house.

"Come on, everyone's inside!" Katara said enthusiastically and Toph had not choice but to follow, leaving her bags by the curb.

"Everyone?" Toph said, finally finding her voice.

"Well just us girls." Katara said. Toph was pulled through the white doorway and she faced the living room, a TV blaring in the corner and every clear spot had someone sitting in it. Every single girl turned and stared.

Azula, Suki and Smellerbee all sat on the white, plump couch while Mai and Ty Lee sat on the arms of the couch. Three girls that Toph didn't know were sitting in the two armchairs, one sitting on the arm of one of them. One of them had her hair in two very thick braids, one with a long braid trailing down her back, another with silky black hair that lay past her shoulders, part of it covering one eye.

An old lady, with her grey hair pulled back into a braid walked from the kitchen, pulling oven mitts from her hands.

"No way." Ty Lee said, a smile making it's way across her face.

"Toph?" Suki asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning forward like she was about to get up.

"Um . . ." Toph looked down at herself again, as though checking to make sure of her answer before saying, "Yeah."

Suki, Ty Lee and Azula both jumped up and ran forward, hugging Toph. The three girls Toph didn't know and Mai stayed where they were, while Smellerbee waited until the other girls stopped screaming to come over and greet Toph.

"Sit, sit!" Ty Lee said, pushing Toph over to the couch. Toph sat, trying to take in everything that had happened in the past two minutes.

"You look so different." Azula said, her eyebrows raised and her hands on her hips.

"So I've heard." Toph said with a trace of a smile on her lips.

Gran-Gran came out, a wide smile on her lips and a tray of cookies in her hands. "Be careful, their still hot." She said, sitting the tray on the coffee table.

Toph took a deep breath again, the smell even stronger than it was outside. The other girls immediately dug in and Toph took one, still feeling slightly subdued.

Katara looked at her watch and yelped. "Their going to be here in a half hour!"

Every girl, save for Toph who had no idea what was going on, froze and stared wide-eyed at Katara before dropping their cookies and running into the hallway leading to the bathroom and bedrooms.

"Who's going to what?" Toph asked Katara who was closest to her.

"The guy's! We're all going out to dinner tonight and we haven't even gotten ready!" Katara replied.

"Guy's?" Toph asked exasperatedly, watching the girls scramble over make-up.

"Yes, Zuko, Sokka, Haru, Jet, Aang-"

"What?!" Toph shrieked, staring at Katara like she was crazy. Katara froze and turned to Toph with a pleading look in her eye.

"Please Toph, not now!" Katara said. She grabbed Toph by her elbow and pulled her into the bedroom.

"Hey, I just came here because you said I was going to be a bridesmaid in your wedding tomorrow. Not to relive my life when I was younger." Toph said in a furious whisper.

Katara leaned back against the door and looked at Toph with a puzzled expression. "Tomorrow? No, Toph, the wedding isn't tomorrow, it's in a month."

"What?" Toph said, gritting her teeth slightly.

"Toph, Please. . ." Katara moaned. "It's just dinner. And your not alone, your with all of us."

Toph narrowed her eyes at Katara and said, "I don't have anything to wear anyway. And it's not like they know I'm here."

"Now your being immature!" Katara exclaimed. "You know what, you can borrow one of my dresses."

Toph moaned. "No, Katara, I can't do this. I haven't talked to any of those guy's in _six years_."

"One, we both know it's not about the guys in general and two, your going to have to come even if I have to drag you there."

Toph scowled but said, "What do'ya got?"

* * *

Toph looked at herself in the full length mirror. She was wearing a red, Japanese style dress with a slit down the side that showed off most of her leg. The silk wound around her body pefectly, showing off her curves. He lips had the faint trace of the red lip stick Toph had failed to get off completely and she hadn't bothered to try and rid of the blush. Her bangs were held out of her face by two small pins that were invisable in her dark, glossy hair and the rest of her hair was held in an elagent bun, a string of crimson ribbon tied into it, trailing down her bare back. 

Toph sighed, running her hand over the curves of her hips, flattening invisable lines. Toph stepped back, nearly tripping due to her high heels, but she caught herself and stumbled to the door.

All of the ladies were already in the living room, make-up and all. Katara sighed as she saw Toph and gave a weak smile that Toph returned. Toph's face fell, concentrating on a spot in the carpet at her feet.

"Their here!" One of the new girls squeaked, retreating from her spot by the window. Everyone primped their hair or ran their hands over their dresses.

"If your not ready, then that's too bad!" A voice said from just beyond the doorway. A guy in a neat tuxedo and a blue flower tucked into the pocket strode into the room.

Toph rolled her eyes. _Sokka. . ._

Another man followed him inside, his shaggy, black hair not entirely hiding the scar that covered part of the left side of his face as he ducked his head down, pulling at the coat buttons of his tuxedo.

"Damn these. . ." He muttered, stopping next to Sokka. He was followed by another shaggy haired man, his tuxedo a little more wrinkled than the others. Another man with short, dark hair and thick dark eyebrows was pulling at his sleeves, and a man with long hair stood in the doorway. His face was still turned to the door as he talked to the young man that walked through next.

"Okay, okay, I got it. . ." He trailed off as he raised his grey eyes to look at the girls in front of him. He had a smile on his face as he nodded to several of the girls and his mouth dropped and he completely stopped his fidgeting when his eye's met Toph's.

Everyone was oblivious to Aang's gawking. Aang shut his mouth tightly, his back straightening, becoming more tense by the second before he turned away. Toph still saw the look in his eyes, a look of sadness and anger.

"Teo couldn't come, there was a call about his father. There was a small explosion in the lab and his father is in the hospital. It's not serious, though." Aang said casually to Katara who nodded, a look of sympathy on her face.

"Oh, it's okay, it's just a dinner." Katara said, batting her hand back and forth.

"Hey Katara," Sokka whispered to her, once Aang had started talking to Haru again.

"Yes?"

"Who's that girl in the corner." Sokka said jerking his head in Toph's direction.

"I knew you were dense Snoozles, but really." Toph said slyly, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms.

Sokka turned to her, his eyebrows raised high.

"What did you call me?" He said slowly, a smile spreading across his face.

Toph smirked. "Did I stutter?"

Sokka walked across the room and pulled Toph into a hug, which she returned.

"I didn't know you were coming so soon!" Sokka said happily.

"Me neither." Toph replied. Toph gazed around at everyone again. Katara was now talking to Zuko, Jet, Azula and Mai. Two of the three girls Toph didn't know were talking quietly and Aang, Suki, Ty Lee and the other new girl talked to each other. The girl was holding onto Aang's arm like she was afraid Suki or Ty Lee would take him from her.

Toph looked way, pursing her lips slightly and Sokka looked at her curiously before peering in the direction Toph was a moment before. He frowned slightly and turned back to Toph.

"Your going to be alright tonight, right?" He asked her soothingly.

Toph snorted. "My best friend is getting married. I'm not going to let an idiot get in the way of my fun." She said, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Sokka narrowed his own eyes slightly and smiled before leading Toph over to Zuko, Jet, Azula and Mai.

* * *

Meng. Her name was Meng. Toph stared ahead blankly, trying hard to block out the high, girlish giggles issuing from said girl as she gave Aang a playful shove. Toph chewed slowly on her food, now concentrating on the ornate design on her shining plate. 

She had only been planning on staying for a week at the most. Not a month. Toph sighed and Ty Lee, who was sitting on her right smiled at her. "Come on Toph, we aren't bad enough that it will be torture to stay for an extra three weeks." She said cheerfully.

"Don't be so sure." Toph replied, taking another bite of the steak in front of her. She didn't see why all the fancy spices had to be put on them, they made her eyes water slightly and a tingling feel stick to her mouth.

"It's just a month Toffee." Ty Le said, using Toph's childhood nick name.

Toph glanced at her before staring down at her plate again. It just felt so weird being around everyone again. They were all laughing and talking and suddenly Toph didn't feel as if she belonged here anymore and she couldn't be more relieved when the waiter came to collect the bill.

"Toph," Katara said, putting a hand on her arm as they walked to the car. "Are you going to be staying with us?"

Toph shook her head. "No, I'll be staying at a hotel only fifteen minutes from the house."

Katara wrinkled her nose in disapprovment.

"Katara, I'll be fine and if you need me it'll only take about twenty minutes for me to come."

Katara sighed but nodded. "Thank you." She said. "I know this is tough for you."

Toph nodded but didn't say anything else.

Katara stopped suddenly, making Toph stop as well. "What hotel?" She asked.

"I dunno, some fancy one on the edge of the neighborhood."

"Heh. . . Toph?" Katara said causously, taking small steps forward.

"Yeah. . ." Toph started walking along side Katara, stepping with the same pace as her.

"There's only on fancy hotel around here."

"So?"

"That's the one Aang and his girlfriend, Meng, are staying at."

* * *

**PREVIEW!!!!!! this is the first chapter of a new story I might write. for more info go to my profile it's my second idea of stories. If you need even more information than just ask. I don't really like how I ended this. It just seems incomplete. The next chapter I post will tell you if I added more to this so if you want more I suggest looking at the author notes on the next chapter.**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me! pls!!!!!**


	10. Being Helpful

"Finished!" Toph exclaimed triumphantly, stacking tons of papers on top of each other and lifting them into her arms. Aang watched with an amused smile on his face as Toph struggled with the papers for a moment.

Aang glanced around the crowded office, at the boxes pilled in the closet, the papers, file folders, and broken pencils crowding the couch, and boxes of kids records everywhere on the floor and said, "Where are we going to put all those papers without getting them messed up with others?"

"I dunno." Toph said, shifting the heavy stack of papers in her arms once more. Toph turned one way and turned the other way quick enough to almost spill the papers.

"Careful!" Aang shouted, jumping up from the chair and taking a hold on Toph's elbow. They had just spent the last three hours sorting through the papers, filling them out, filing them into the sections and throwing away unneeded junk.

"Chill." Toph said, pulling her elbow from his grasp, nearly making her trip over a box on the floor. It didn't help that the carpet made her vision funny. Toph strode past Aang, trying desperately to not trip over anything as she made her way to the couch.

"Let me take some of the papers." Aang suggested, following Toph through the wreckage.

"I don't need help." Toph said indigently. She took another step, and her foot stepped on top of a thick sharpie. Toph gasped and stumbled and Aang grabbed onto her again.

"Your gonna fall." Aang said teasingly, keeping his hold on Toph's arms.

Toph started to step back. "No I'm no- AH!" Toph stumbled right into one of the files sitting on the floor and she tumbled backwards, this time dragging Aang with her.

Papers fluttered around them, some blown slightly off course due to the small fan in the window.

"Ow." Aang moaned as he propped himself up on his elbows. Toph was laying right beneath him, a dazed look in her eyes. She sat up as much as she could with Aang on top of her and squeezed her eyes shut. And then she started to laugh.

Aang looked at her like she was crazy before a grin slid across his face as well and soon both of them where laughing so hard that their ribs were aching. Aang finally reduced his full out laughter into small chuckles and as he looked at Toph's smiling face, the grin was diminished slightly.

"Now we have to do this all over again." Toph said, still laughing a bit and turned her head to all the extra papers around them.

"Hey, Toph," Aang said softly.

"Hm?" Toph faced him again, a lazy look in her eye. Aang looked at them and smiled slightly before cupping one of her cheeks in his hand that wasn't holding him from falling on top of her and pulling her lips to his.

Her lips were warm and soft against his and he felt his heart race as soon as they touched. Toph stiffened in surprise before returning the kiss, bringing her hand to the back of his neck and deepening the kiss and Aang's hand fell to her waist. Toph opened her mouth slightly and Aang responded, his tongue brushing her lip.

The was a low squeaking sound from behind them and they didn't notice that it was the door opening.

"What on earth is going on in here?" Ayane, Aang's mother, said exasperatedly, scanning the room with her papers all over and her son on top of his friend kissing her. Aang and Toph's attention snapped to Ayane and she smiled.

"I'll just leave you two alone, shall I?" She said, not even bothering to hide her smirk. She winked at Aang before closing the door and he blushed heavily.

"Perfect timing." She said to Aang's father, who was pretending to read the paper and hide his smile at the same time.

* * *

**Too. Short. I would killl my parents if they did that to me but this was too funny to resist. And yes I did add more to the previous chapter, just in case your wondering. I always pictured Aangs parents to be as fun and carefree as he is and this is aangs mother being _helpfull._**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me!**


	11. Capture

**WARNING**

**WARNING**

**WARNING!!!**

**I'd say this chapter may be rated M so be warned.**

* * *

Toph's eyes snapped open and she immediately pressed both hands into the hard, frozen ground. She gasped and leaped from her spot on the ground, her head colliding painfully with the top of her earth tent with a loud crack. Toph shook her head and hurried out of her tent. 

Katara and Aang had woken up when Toph's head smashed into the top of the tent and the looked at her curiously.

"Someone's coming." Toph said, answering their silent question. Katara shot up from her sleeping mat and started shaking Sokka urgently while Aang airbent Appa's saddle onto the animal as well as the bags.

Toph was still burying her feet into the ground, trying to see farther but she realized that she didn't need to.

"WATCH OUT!" She screamed, right as fire bolts burst from every open spot between the trees surrounding them. Toph earth bent shields around the now fully awake Sokka, Katara and herself while Aang, who was up on Appa, deflected them with his staff.

Katara leapt from the shield and swung her arms out, drawing water from her pouch and the supplies at Aang's feet. She lashed the water out at a row of Fire Nation soldier that were advancing from the trees and spun the water around her, making two whips that lashed out behind her as well as in front of her. Sokka jumped onto Appa and aimed his boomerang at the soldiers in the trees, not hesitating to through it again when it came back. Aang had jumped off Appa and airbent each soldier in sight into the air, some landing in trees while others landed on their comrades. Toph repeatedly shifted the earth around her, making the dirt spin so that any fire bender that shot at her turned and shot in the opposite direction.

The firing stopped momentarily as every soldier fell to the ground.

"Let's go!" Sokka yelled, sitting on Appa's head. Appa had tried to flee from the fire that flew around him, making Sokka's job a little harder. Aang jumped up onto Appa and held his hand out to Katara. Just as she was about to grab it, fire whipped snapped out, whipping Katara across the back. Katara cried out in agony and recoiled, away from Aang's hand.

Aang and Sokka immediately leapt down to her and Toph stepped in front of her. More and more soldiers where coming, probably three times more than what they were originally fighting. Toph sent out a shock wave through the earth and it spread out in a large circle around her, knocking fire bender after fire bender to the ground and any that weren't were knocked unconscious by the boulders pelting them a moment later.

Sokka's, Aang's and Katara's vibrations couldn't be felt by Toph and she assumed that they were now on Appa.

"Toph, come on!" Aang shouted from Appa and Toph turned towards the beast. She was about to earth bend herself up when she felt agonizing pain biting at her feet. She fell to the ground and gritted her teeth as she felt the skin burn from her feet. The pain was too much and the last thing she heard before she blacked out was a furious yell.

* * *

When Toph woke up, she was surprised to find herself in a lavish gown. She was on an actual bed in a very fancy room. Her hair had been combed out and was up in an elaborate hairstyle that gave her a head ache. 

She sat up and placed her feet on the floor, but they were covered by thin, silk slippers. Toph was about to take them off when someone said, "I wouldn't do that. It can get awfully cold in this place."

Toph jumped and faced the speaker. "Where am I?" she demanded.

"Just a little place I call home." The man said kindly. Toph could hear a twinge of bitterness in his voice but decided to ignore it. "Why am I here?" She said, scooting farther away from the man.

"The avatar was treating you unkindly. I hated seeing such a pretty young girl being forced to do things in such a. . . barbaric manner." He said, walking closer until her was at the foot of her bed.

"What are you talking about?" Toph snapped, glaring at the man. "I loved being with them."

"Tsk, tsk, what have they done to you." The man said feigning sympathy, tracing her jaw line with a rough, calloused finger. Toph threw the hand away and said, "Let me go or so help me, I will wrap every metal object here around you and sink you into the ground!"

"Oh, I see we have a rebel." He cooed, leaning closer to her. Toph stood up, stumbling backwards, the silk slippers making her slip and messing up her vision.

He followed her slowly and soon her had her pressed up to the metal wall. "What's wrong?" He asked, a smirk on his face. Toph scowled and clenched her fingers into the metal wall and swung her fist out, smashing the metal into the side of the mans head. He let go of her and Toph ran to the door, throwing it open and sprinting down the hallway, ignoring the burning pain in both of her feet. She turned a sharp corner, the slippers making her slid a bit before realizing she wasn't the only one in the hallway.

"Get her, she's escaping!" One of the masked men yelled. The other four charged at her and Toph dunked to the floor and yanked at the metal, pulling it our from underneath the soldiers like it was a carpet and they fell to the level below. Toph had no choice but to turn back and started running again. That's when she felt something collide with the back of her neck.

* * *

"Admiral Zhao, we've captured your prisoner." One masked man said, walking into a room shrouded in red, holding the small girl in his arms. 

"Good," Zhao said casually, not looking up from the letter he was writing. "Set her on the bed."

* * *

Toph woke up to a sharp pain in the back of her neck and a soft, fuzzy blanket around her. For a moment she thought she was on Appa but then she remembered what happened and she bolted up, only to have something push her back down. 

"Why hello there." a voice hissed in her ear and she recognized it as the voice from before, only this time it was cold and cruel.

Toph struggled and kicked but Zhao had her down and he wasn't about to let go.

"Hey, I tried being nice." He said, sounding slightly defensive. Toph was struggling slightly to breath, her breath only coming in short bursts. She could feel her eyes sting and she shut them. She was pushing against his chest, and trying to kick him but her legs couldn't bend enough to kick him and he had her wrists in an iron grip. His breath was warm and putrid on her face.

"Now, let me ask you something." He hissed, pushing her arms down and across her chest. "Where is the avatar hiding?"

Toph didn't say anything, just squirmed her shoulders, trying to free her hands.

"I asked you a question!" He snapped dangerously, shaking her violently.

Toph whimpered and Zhao smirked. "Am I hurting you?" he whispered in her ear.

Toph gasped slightly, trying to catch her breath and stop the tears from running down her cheeks.

"Good." he said.

Zhao moved both of her tiny wrists to one hand, still managing to keep his hold on them, noting how strong the fourteen your old girl was, and moved his free hand down to the sash around her waist and started pulling at it. "Now I'll ask you one more time," He said softly. "Where is the boy?"

Toph shook her head and twisted, trying desperately to get the man off of her. "No answer?" he said harshly, pulling the sash from her waist completely, the kimono falling open and revealing her under wrappings. Tears were now pouring freely down Toph's face as she struggled and twisted. She was scared, she was _truly _scared.

Then she felt the need to gag as his lips pressed against hers and she tried to pull away, but he was now completely on top of her. His warm tongue slipped imbetween her lips and she bit it.

"Argh!" Zhao pulled back glaring at the girl. He reared his hand back and slapped her across the face, ignoring her gasp of pain.

Zhao gritted his teeth and started pulling at her chest wrappings and Toph beat his chest. "No, no, please. . ." She panted, hitting him with all her might, which wasn't much anymore. The chest wrappings were half off when Toph managed to knee Zhao in the groan and he moaned, only collapsing on top of her.

"You bitch." He spat, know kneeling over her. Toph gulped and shot up quickly, head-butting him in the stomach. Toph then rolled form the bed but Zhao grabbed onto her collar and tugged her back and she fell to the floor, gasping for breath and massaging her throat. Zhao picked her up and slammed her into the wall, kissing down her neck. Toph grimaced as his tongue touched her skin, all the way down to the top of her wrappings. His hands her roaming her curves until they came to her chest and started pulling at the wrappings again. He pressed his lips hard to Toph's, hard enough to bruise her and continued to viscously kiss her as his hands pulled her chest wrappings away.

Toph let out a sob and Zhao looked at her. Her placed a hand on her face and wiped at her tears with his thumb. "Sh. . . it's ok." He said and Toph gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly. He eyes snapped open furiously and she slapped him across the face and punched him in the gut, sending him backwards. Before Toph could get away, he grabbed onto one of her burnt feet and she fell to the ground. He dragged her to her feet, looking into her tear stained face before throwing her into the wall and watching her fall down into a crumbled heap.

"Useless garbage." He spat. He called for the guard, who stood outside the room and the man walked in, looking at Toph's still form with horrified surprise.

"Take her to a cell." Zhao said bitterly. The man nodded quickly and carefully picked up the small girl. He was about to leave when Zhao said, "And get her ready for her scourging tomorrow."

* * *

**Well, I feel mean. Yes this is part one of yet another 2 or 3 part series. Yes this will be Taang, who do you think cried out in fury when Toph blacked out the first time?** **And yes I will actually finish this. im the worst procrastinator evr. . .**

**Complaints, joy, hate, challenges, ideas? pls tell me! i mostly want a challenge pls!**


	12. Capture pt 2

Toph blinked her eyes wearily. Her whole body ached horribly. It took her a moment to realize that she was chained up, her wrists in shackles and the tips of her toes only just touching the strangely warm metal.

Toph's heart skipped a beat when she realized that it was metal and she twitched and pain shot through her. She was too weak to do anything and she knew it. She had learned a while ago that it's okay to show weakness but she still refrained from doing so. But, for the moment, Toph admitted defeat.

* * *

He threw his head back and shouted at the clouds. "Damn it!" He glared at everything that passed with enough venom to kill. 

"Aang, sit down. We'll find her." Katara said, watching Aang pace past her once more.

"Yeah, this is Toph we're talking about. She'll be fine." Sokka added, though he himself wasn't so sure. He knew what the Zhao was capable of and that's what scared him the most. Toph was strong, one of the strongest people he knew, but even she could be broken.

"Screaming at things and risking being thrown off Appa isn't going to help." Katara said more sternly. Aang shot her a glare but abided, sitting down opposite her.

"Now I'm pretty sure the tanks went this way." Sokka said, pointing ahead.

"What makes you say that?" Katara said, peering down at the landscape below.

"Instinct, okay! Let's just go, we don't have any other leads."

"Instinct? Do you remember the last time we followed your _instinct_?" Katara said.

"Will you just. . ." Sokka stopped as Katara raised an eyebrow warningly and he cleared his throat. "It won't hurt to look."

"It will if she's not there." Aang said, glaring at the metal towers looming in the distance.

* * *

The warm metal only made the small cell more unbearable. She had figured out a while ago that there was no point in ripping the metal, for as soon as she did, the fire surrounding her cell would be expanded. She'd have to have a death wish to even try. Still, Toph never stopped thinking. 

She figured out that the guards switched shifts every three hours. She also found out that she has only five hours until her 'punishment'. She stiffened as she heard a loud squeak and then a small crashing sound.

"Hello." Zhao said, walking with his hands folded neatly behind his back. Toph said nothing as she glared at where she though Zhao was.

"Now don't look at me like that." Zhao said coldly. "You could have avoided this. As a matter of fact you still can."

Once again Toph didn't respond, she didn't even blink.

Zhao scowled slightly before stepping closer, stopping when he was about a foot away.

"All you have to tell me is where the boy is. What he's doing. . . his plans." He said smoothly.

Toph wrinkled her nose, his breath smelling of ash.

"It's the least you can do after I saved you from this terrorist."

"Shut up!" Toph snapped.

"Hm, seems I struck a nerve." Zhao smiled cruelly. "Come now girl, your about to go through the most unpleasant thing in your life. Whipping is something I tend to personally."

"You would." Toph send, twisting her wrists in their cuffs.

Zhao snorted out a chuckle. "And I swear, this will go on until either you tell me what I need to know or you die. Your choice."

"I'd rather die." Toph snarled through clenched teeth.

"Have it your way." Zhao said, strolling back over to the heavy iron doors. "Oh, before I forget. . ." He said, stopping with his hand on the bars. "When the avatar arrives to free his friend, I'll make sure he sees your death before his own." And with that he left.

* * *

Aang watched as Appa whipped his tail into about five unexpecting soldiers, sending them flying into walls or each other. Aang jumped, the soldier that had charged at him, running beneath him and whipping around, obviously confused. Aang landed on top of the man and jumped off careening over several heads. 

Many of the men in this facility were just charging at Aang head on before being blown back about twenty feet. Katara and Sokka appeared beside him, Katara with a water whip whirling around her and Sokka, catching his boomerang as it soared back into his hands.

They burst of in opposite directions, attacking the men that had attempted at getting to Aang. Aang grinned and ran forward, through a metal doorway and up the flight of stairs. He kept running upward, up to the tallest point of the large facility. He didn't know why, but he felt like something was calling him, like something had taken control of his body. As he reached the door at the very top, not at all out of breath, he burst through, now standing on a balcony and entered a stance. But what he saw made all of the breath leave his body.

* * *

Toph was exhausted enough to fall asleep while chained to the wall, but just as her eyes closed she felt something hard hit her face. 

Her eyes snapped back open and she glared at her guard before her.

"You didn't have to hit me!" She yelled.

The man just snorted. Toph didn't realize the he had undone the cuffs around her wrists until she was thrown over his shoulder.

"What the hell!" She screamed. The guard threw her down onto the floor and Toph felt tape being placed over her mouth. She tried to scream and kick but she soon ran out of energy and he tied her wrists and feet with a thick, scratchy rope. She was thrown over the mans shoulder once more and the man started up many stairs.

Several minutes later she was dropped onto the ground once more and she could feel the brisk wind against her face. She heard many shouts below and her head started to pound. The ropes suddenly fell from her wrists and ankles and she was pulled up into a standing position by her hair. She gritted her teeth, blinking back tears of pain. The tape was torn from her mouth and she gasped.

She could feel something thin and cold press against her neck and she felt a twinge of pain as the voice she had talked to only three hours ago said, "Walk. If you talk I'll slit your throat."

Toph was shoved across the floor and he made her step up onto the low ledge. He still had a firm grip on her hair and his arm was wrapped around her neck. She had both hands on his wrist that was holding the knife to her throat, trying to pry they away but each time she almost did, they bounced back, cutting deeper into her throat. She stopped but kept a firm grip on his wrists.

The wind had picked up, making her hair blow out behind her. The cool evening air and the wind made Toph shiver, due to the fact that she had been reduced to wearing her under wrappings.

She jumped slightly as the door opposite them slammed open with a loud crash. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her through as she felt the dim vibrations through the cold metal.

"No," She whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear.

"Zhao," Aang growled, not taking his narrowed eyes off of Toph. "I swear if you hurt her-"

"You'll what? Kill me? You kill me, she falls. She dies and you kill me, nothing will change." Zhao said in a low, business like voice.

Aang's steely grey eye's averted to Zhao's gold ones, alive with fire.

"Give yourself up and the girls lives. Attack and I will slit her throat. Take your pick." He slid the broad side of the knife against the thin red line that was already etched into Toph's skin. Zhao pulled her hair downward, forcing her to look up, not that it made a difference.

"Aang, don't!" Toph managed to say before Zhao turned the tip of the blade to her throat.

"Shut up!" He growled, barring his teeth.

Aang was staring at her uncertainly, horror clear in his eyes.

"Aang, please, just leave! I'll be fine." Toph said, ignoring the tip of the blade as it pressed harder to her skin.

Aang shook his head but snapped out his glider and he took off.

"I'm sorry Toph." He murmured, ignoring the moisture in his eyes.

* * *

**I don't think Zhao realizes that she's already been through the worst experience of her life. And Aang left because both he and Toph knew that he couldn't risk his life because the world needed him, being the avatar and all. And there will be a third chapter to this and then on to another oneshot/short story.**

**And now I'm sure tons of you have seen the latest episode, Sokka's Master. . . AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! love love love!! except the tokka but hey, it's only the fourth episode, things change. hopefully into taang mode or else i will be too sad to right anything for a while. And then I will right every taang thought that comes to my mind. and I'll right a very angry letter!!!!!! I will, just watch me.**

**Oh and one more thing- MY BIRTHDAY IS IN SIX DAYS!!! october 18 people. how old did you peoples think i am, im honestly curious to know.**

**Complaints, joy, hate, _challenges, ideas_? pls tell me! I will get to any of them ASAP**


	13. Capture pt 3

Zhao growled as he watched the avatar through narrowed eyes as he disappeared. Moments later the commotion below stopped, random dents, gashes and puddles left all over the deck.

Zhao threw Toph forward and she landed hard on the deck floor, her knee smashing into the metal sending a shock of pain through her leg and despite the fact the every muscle in her body was screaming in protest she leapt to her feet. She made a slashing movement with her hands and shards of metal flew at Zhao like shrapnel. She ran through the door and closed it, taking out the handle and crushing the side of the door to the wall.

Toph ran down the stairs, ignoring the infuriated cries from above and the ache that became more apparent with each step. Her mind was racing, her eyes blurring in and out of focus as she went barreling down the hallway, hoping to meet no one. She knew that she couldn't take out many people in this condition, not with only metal at hand.

She sped around the corner and crashed into something, sending her flying backwards. Toph wasted no time, getting up and sprinting away, not even bothering to find out who the person was. Not that she need to. She soon felt nails graze her skin and Toph spun, kicking out and sending a large chunk of metal from the floor and into the jaw of her attacker with a sickening crack.

Toph panted slightly as she sprinted down the corridor once more. She turned down a different hallway, this time checking the faint vibrations to not run into anyone.

She slid around the corner, her hand trailing the along the metal wall, sensing every bump. As she reached yet another corner she grunted and ripped the metal from the wall and swung it forward, flattening at least five guards. She sprinted down more stairs, only to find her self with a discussion. Toph had no idea which of the three tunnels before her lead to freedom.

Left one. . . four rooms, two hallways, dead end. Middle one. . . ten rooms, 6 hallways, stairs leading upwards. Right one. . . empty. Toph took her chances and took off again, already hearing footsteps behind her. She was slowing down, the lack of food and sleep starting to take effect.

Toph stumbled around the corner and leaned against the wall, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. She gave a dry heave and swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. She jumped slightly as she heard shouts becoming louder and louder, their footsteps thrumming in her ears. Toph panted and twisted around, throwing the door closest to her open and shutting it quietly behind her. Only seconds later she heard ragged breath and felt several pair of feet enter the hallway she had just left.

"Check the rooms!" A voice said. "Admiral said not to hold back."

Toph quickly backed away from the door upon hearing this. There was a cot in the corner with a blanket over it, a pot of water sitting next to that with a rag inside, a stool in the corner, a thick threaded rug, a barred window, a portrait of some sort and a small closet built into the wall. Toph quickly made her way to the closet, cursing herself for being reduced to doing so. She could feel a sour bile filling up her throat but she swallowed with a gasp. She placed her hands on the closed door of the closet so that half was on the right door and half was on the left. She curled her hand into a fist, bunching the strangled metal together. She did that several more times, until she heard the heavy metal door to the room real open.

Toph held her breath, hating herself for being so weak more and more every second. She could hear the man throw things around the room, hear them collide with the walls with a crash or a thud. Toph was still trying to catch her breath, still trying to keep herself from throwing up, ignoring her fingers which were now bleeding. She sucked her stomach in her as the doors to the closet shook, the doors barely touching her chest.

"Hey-!"

Toph pushed the door, causing it to collide with the mans head, stopping him mid-sentence. She grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the groin making him groan and slump to the floor. She left him wrapped in thick sheets of iron, with the wet rag tied against his mouth.

Toph had no idea where the other men had gone but she really didn't care. She continued down the hallway, stumbling slightly, the little vibrations she could feel becoming more weak with her.

And she realized it too late. In a matter of seconds, someone had her pinned against the harshly cold metal, her hands pinned behind her back. She started to struggle but she felt a stab of pain in her neck.

"Feel that?" The man hissed in her ear.

Toph replied but stopping her struggle, falling silent.

"Good girl."

Toph's face immediately flushed in anger and she thrust her hands out as far as they would go behind her back, thrusting the mans own hand into his stomach. He grunted and Toph twisted, yanking the knife from his hand with her now free hand and shoved the man against the wall, swinging the knife up to his neck.

"Don't move." She growled through clenched teeth, her nose only inches from his. The man flinched. Slowly metal wrapped around his wrists, forearms, thighs, ankles, feet, stomach and neck. Toph backed away, pleased as she heard the man start to struggle. She stalked down the hallway once more, her knees nearly buckling under her weight. So much metal bending drained her even more and she gripped the wall to keep her from falling to the floor.

But she did as something hard made contact with her head.

"_Damn it, where to all these guys keep coming from!" _Toph thought angrily, staggering to her feet. Her head was throbbing right on her temple and she could feel the thick, hot liquid slide down her face. Something hard, a metal pole perhaps, collided with her cheek, sending her reeling into the wall, where she slid to the floor, this time spitting the blood from her mouth.

She blocked yet another hit and tried to break the metal but she only made dents where her fingers were. The man slapped her across the face and she let go of the pole. He grabbed her wrists and tugged them above her head, pulling her to her feet. In a matter of moments Toph felt several hands tugging at her, her wrists being bound as well as her ankles, before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Wood shattered and the earth beneath their feet shook. All Katara and Sokka could do was watch as Aang took his anger out on everything around her. 

"Aang," Katara said yet again. "Aang, I hate to say this but you did the right thing. You know it and so does Toph."

"We'll get her! Toph's a trooper, she won't let some scumbag of a fire bender do anything bad to her." Sokka said confidently.

Aang stopped and thrust a scroll out at them. Katara took it with a curious expression. She unknotted the thread and unrolled the scroll, gazing up and down. She clasped her hands to her mouth, the paper floating to the ground. Sokka snatched it up and scanned it before throwing it back to the ground.

"How can they do that?! Everyone from all the surrounding towns? Even an earth kingdom town!" Sokka yelled, stepping on the paper, his face growing red.

"And It wouldn't happen if I had just gotten her out. She was right there." Aang said angrily, his hands balled into fists. His face relaxed, becoming more solemn. "I could have saved her."

"Aang, this isn't your fault." Katara said, lifting her head from her hands.

"We'll get her. She'll be out in the open then. We can get her." Sokka said, clapping a hand to Aang's shoulder. He only nodded.

* * *

Toph was thrown into a room, falling to the floor. She was barely conscious and she blinked wearily. She felt something tug at her and a searing pain as someone pulled her up by her hair. Zhao slapped her across the face and she fell once more. She gagged once more as he kicked her in the stomach. 

He dragged her up again. "_You little sneak_." He hissed in her ear. She felt someone smack her face again, this time much harder. She tried to spit the metallic taste of blood from her mouth but it wouldn't leave, it wouldn't stop. He through her into the wall and she slumped to the floor.

"Thanks to your friend." Zhao spat, pacing in front of her. "Your scourging will be in one hour. We'll see if that will loosen your tongue."

He left the room and a slam of the door and the noise revibrated throughout the room. Toph let out a sob and her chest constricted, her pain hitting her full force.

_I'm not weak. . . __**I **__am not __**weak**_Toph thought repeatedly, trying to control her breathing.

After what only felt like fifteen minutes, Toph felt someone tug at her.

"Get up." They ordered in a gruff voice. He clenched her arm tightly and she winced. Her hands were chained in front of her, her feet bound in shackles, the chain connecting them just long enough to let her walk in a short stride. She was tugged along at a fast pace, nearly making her trip.

In a couple minutes she felt the cold rush of fresh air and she shivered. She started getting colder and colder as she took more steps and she could hear cheering in the distance.

She squinted, her face completely emotionless, just as it was before she earth bent. But she wasn't earth bending. She couldn't. She was glad that she could walk, show that she had _some_ dignity.

The cheering grew louder, the air thick with the cries of the surrounding crowds. The freezing wind sliced through Toph's hair, chills running down her spine. She was shoved roughly forward. She landed hard on her knees, one throbbing way more than the other one. Her hands were ripped forward and she could feel the rough, splintered wood before her wrists were bound to it by a thick, scratchy rope. Her hair fell over her face, blowing every which way due to the wind.

"You have been read your rights. " She heard Zhao's voice behind her. "Do you contradict?"

Toph said nothing. She knew what would happen if she did, not that anything would change when she didn't.

"Answer me when I'm speaking to you. You are to be punished for foul mindfulness, you could start your payment by being polite." Zhao said coldly.

She didn't respond.

Zhao growled and snapped the whip in his hand at the ground, before snapping it at Toph. Toph wince and gritted her teeth, her back arching backwards a bit. Zhao twirled the long whip back and above his head before whipping it forward with a resounding crack.

Toph let out a small gasp this time, gripping the thick rope tightly.

Crack. . . .

Crack. . . .

A single tear fell from Toph's eyes, grinding her teeth together. _I am not weak. . . I am not weak. . ._

"I am not weak. . ." The words issued from her mouth, small and inaudible.

She felt the hard, slick texture of the whip collide with her back once more, feeling it break right through the skin, feeling the blood completely soaking her back. Then something happened. Something that Toph was both thankful for and even vengeful. It started to rain. She felt the cool water slid down her back, soaking her hair, softening her wounds. Toph almost expected the whip to come again, harsher than before but it didn't. Instead of the usual crack of the whip there was the roaring of the wind, the roar of the fire.

Toph shivered uncontrollably, the rain pelting down even harder. Her mind swirled, her muscles ached and her back stung. She felt someone touch her and she flinched. There were more crashes and yells and she felt the rope falling from her wrists. Someone pulled her back and she struggled, panting crazily and kicking her powerful legs. She felt her foot collide with something hard and heard someone suck there breath in sharply.

Toph's couldn't think straight, the pain in her back was too much for even her to bare. No matter how much she tried to stop them, tears fell, along with sobs that got her breath caught in her throat. She didn't notice how someone had picked her up, bridal-style, or that the roars of fire and the cries of the crowd were getting softer, as if drifting away.

After a few moments, she could feel soft movement against her and murmuring behind her. She stopped fighting and kicking and went limp, her head resting against something soft. She now noticed that it was she who was moving, not that crowd that had watched her being 'punished'. She could feel the wind rip through her hair, the rain fall onto her stomach, cheek and legs instead of just her back. She shivered again and tired to get closer to the warmth.

They had now stopped moving and Toph could hear the voices better.

"Get her into the tent, now. Sokka, fill this with water."

Toph felt a sudden warmth from all around her, not feeling the rain hit her anymore. She felt herself shifting slowly, the warmth next to her leaving before another occurred. Toph winced as she felt something touch her back.

"Don't lay her on her back, that's the first thing I have to look at." Said the same voice from before.

"Katara. . ."

"No, Toph, don't talk. You'll be alright."

Toph let out a shuddering breath, and let herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

Katara exited the larger part of the tent, looking very weary but otherwise happy. Aang stood up immediately. He opened his mouth to talk but Katara intercepted him. 

"She's alright. Or at least as alright as she's going to be. She had a few sprained muscles, a concussion and a very high fever but any swelling has gone down as well as her fever."

Aang nodded, his eyes downcast.

"You can see her. She asleep, but. . ." Katara stopped and nodded towards the door, making her way over to Sokka, who was asleep.

Aang hesitated in front of the door. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his squirming stomach and entered.

Katara still had a small fire burning in the corner of the room. Toph was laying on a cot on the far wall, laying her side with her back to him. Aang grimaced, seeing blood stains that had already seeped through the bandages. Aang stepped up right behind her, seeing how fragile she looked. She was small for her age, but he had never really seen how truly small she was.

Her right cheek was severally bruised and she had scratches all over her arms and legs. Both of her forearms were bandaged up.

"What did they do to you." Aang whispered, stroking back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face. She woke with a start and Aang jumped back.

Toph closed her eyes again, tightly. She began taking long, deep breathes and it was a moment before she opened her eyes again.

"Hey, Twinkle toes." Toph said at almost a whisper.

"Are you feeling okay?" Aang asked, sitting beside her bed.

"What do you think?" Toph asked, a small smile on her lips.

"Toph, this isn't funny."

"Who said it was?"

Aang sighed and put his head in his hands.

Toph sat up as much as she could. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? Toph. . . this has to be about the stupidest thing you've ever done! What's wrong with _you!_" Aang didn't really know what was wrong with him, why he blew up like that. He just felt this burning sensation ever since he first saw that whip touch her, when he first realized that he was too late.

"What! It's not like waltzed up to that place and asked for them to torture me, for Zhao to rape me-"

"WHAT!" Aang was standing now, his face a deep red, his fists balled up at his side. Toph clamped a hand over her mouth as if trying to keep herself from saying anything else.

She slowly lowered her hand. "Are you honestly mad at me for this." She said at such a low whisper that Aang had to lean forward a bit to hear her.

Aang groaned and sat next to Toph on the cot. "No, I'm just. . . I'm mad at myself."

Toph cocked an eyebrow.

"I could have prevented this, I know I could've."

"No, you couldn't. I chose not to tell them anything. Now tell me how that is your fault." Toph's sightless eyes penetrated his and he relaxed a bit.

"I just-"

"Aang, I'm fine. We're fine. This is behind us. Let's keep it that way." Toph said softly. With that she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly, or as tightly as she could manage. Aang froze for a second before wrapping his arms around her small waist.

* * *

Katara peeked through the small archway. She noticed that the fire had long gone out, the embers of the fire cool. Through the darkness, she seeked out Toph's cot. She crept closer, straining her eyes to see. 

Katara smiled broadly and snuck back out of the room. On the cot lay Toph, sound asleep, but she wasn't alone. She laying in the arms of Aang, who was dozing softly with his back against the wall.

* * *

**Okay, I know it doesn't make a difference if tophs eyes are focused but even though shes blind her eyes are still focused not blurred. Don't reveiw saying that or I will be very angry.**

**And I am sorry that I haven't updated as often as usual but I have an excuse- i have bad birthday luck. Six tests, halloween, my birthday, my friends birthday party, soccer practice five times a week. And some things that im not willing to share with lots and lots of people happened. I really haven't been feeling up to writing anything since, it took me forever just to write this. Sorry for the delay. Might take a while to write more for anything else.**

**But I really want a challenge! seriously. im begging, im pathetic, i no, but still!**


	14. Before The Wedding

Aang stalked through hall after hall, getting more and more angry with himself. He just had to tell the guard that he knew his way around. He hasn't set foot in this palace in about ten years! All of the meetings had taken place at all of the army reserves.

Aang turned yet another corner at a faster pace, giving a sigh of relief when he saw a large archway in the adjacent wall. As he grew closer he could hear a voice that sounded familiar.

"-Just decided on being late like this! All of them! And I've been in touch with everyone, making sure that they knew the time and date and everything. Sure I haven't heard anything from Toph, but still!"

Aang stood in the archway, one hand resting on the side. A girl had her back to him, her hands on her hips, her dark glossy braid glinting in the sun light. A man was sitting on a stone beach to the side of her, against a wall, shadows hiding his expression. They were in a small garden, a large pond in the middle that reflected the sunlight, turtle-ducks making ripples in it's glassy surface as they dove beneath the water. A sakura tree at full bloom caste shadows over the green grass, the soft wind sending it's soft pink petals into the water. The sun was setting, the first stars shining in the sky.

"I definitely wouldn't have expected this from Aang." She continued on her rant.

"What I do?" Aang called, now leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

The girl stopped rather suddenly, standing dead-still. Then she jumped around, squealed and ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Aang!" Katara stopped and punched him in the arm. "What took you so long, your three days late!"

"It was the storm, it threw Appa off track. Way off track." Aang said sheepishly, rubbing his arm.

"Yeah, well, your lucky there are more people to suffer the consequences with you." Katara said crossly.

"Consequences?"

"She's been talking about the 'consequences' for the past two days." Zuko moaned, leaning back against the wall. Aang smiled weakly and Katara shot him a glare.

"Oh, sorry that I'm mad about my friends being late for my wedding! I mean really it's tomorrow!" Katara yelled.

"They'll be here, Katara."

"But we haven't even had real contact with anyone but Sokka! And he's late, too!" Katara was pretty much going ballistic.

"Um, ma'am-" A messenger stood in the archway Aang had entered through.

"WHAT?" Katara rounded on him, the water from the pond rippling dangerously.

The messenger gave a start and said, "There is a girl at the gate-" Katara screamed happily, cutting off the messenger and sprinted past him and disappeared down the hall.

Zuko groaned and let his head fall into his hands while Aang burst out laughing, the messenger looking thoroughly confused.

* * *

"You guy's still have to be fitted! And I have no idea how your hair and make-up will be done and the food isn't ready. We haven't gotten all of the replies, we have no idea if Bumi is coming or not and if he is and is wearing one of those silly outfits then we're gonna have a problem!" Katara said all in one breath. 

"'Cause you don't already." Toph mumbled, her forehead resting against the cool mahogany table.

Suki snorted and Katara glared.

"Well I think it's fun to do make-up!" Ty Lee chirped.

"That makes one of us." Toph said, lifting her head from the table.

"Nope, Suki wears make-up all the time!" Ty Lee said with a smile.

"It's traditional, that's the only reason." Suki replied.

"Guys!" Katara moaned, falling into a seat.

"Are you PMSing?" Toph asked suddenly. Suki laughed but managed to disguise it as a cough when Katara made a strange sound between a hiss and a grunt.

"I'm serious!" She yelled.

"Me too." Toph said.

"Hey, guys-"

"What?!" Katara rounded on Sokka just as she had the messenger.

Sokka stood in the doorway, an annoyed expression on his face. "Well," He said dramatically before turning on his heel and walking away with exaggerated steps.

The girls, save for Katara, chortled into their hands again.

"Guys, I- OW!" Aang yelled, appearing in the doorway.

"Sokka- ow- stop- ow!- Sokka stop!" Aang yelled, his hands of her hands and one foot in the air as exploding pellets were thrown at his feet.

"That wasn't me!"

"Then who-ow- HARU!"

There was a deep, throaty laugh and Aang disappeared.

All of the girls burst out laughing this time and Suki, Toph and Ty Lee jumped up and ran out of the room. Katara sighed and followed them, a small smile playing across her lips.

* * *

"Don't you dare, Twinkletoes!" Toph yelled. She had him in a one-armed head-lock. 

Aang grinned and freed his arm from her side and swinging it around her neck, pulling her head down next to his. "Don't what? Tell Sokka that you used to like-" Toph clapped her free hand over his mouth.

"You do and I'll tell Katara that you _still do _like-" Aang clapped his hand over her mouth.

"Aye 'on't 'ike er anee 'ore." Aang said through her hand. Toph could feel the heat moisten her hand.

"Ah 'ight." Toph murmured back.

"What are you guys doing?!" Zuko asked, peering over at them.

"Othing!" They said in unison. They narrowed their eyes at each other and started murmuring into each others hands, not letting go of each other. They scuttled away, looking like a deformed crab.

"Those two are so weird."

* * *

"Five minutes guys! Katara has to be ready in five minutes!" Haru popped his head into the room then out. 

"She's ready!" Suki called back.

Katara looked into the full length mirror. She was wearing a long, ice blue dress, the long sleeves ending in a bell. The high collar went into a V-neck. The dress started to flare out at the hips and fell all the way to the floor, all in a fine silk.

"One more thing." Ty Lee said. She picked up a small, diamond-set tiara and pinned it into the front of the set of curls starting at the back of her head. The train lead about three feet behind her.

"Beautiful." Suki said in awe, standing back for the full affect.

"And you weigh about 50 pounds heavier." Toph said with a smirk, fidgeting in her dress.

Katara smiled and turned to look at her brides maids. "I dunno. . . Do you think that the dress is too low cut? It shows a lot of cleavage."

"I doubt the guys will complain." Ty Lee said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Guys! 1 minute!" Aang called. He walked into the room, pulling the cuff of his shirt. He looked up and smiled at them. He scanned their faces as Haru and Sokka filed in behind him. He stopped at Toph and his breath hitched in his throat. He had never seen her, or anyone for that matter, look so amazingly beautiful.

She was wearing the same red, low-cut dress as Suki and Ty Lee that fell all the way to the floor. Her hair was half down, the other half done in an elegant bun, ruby pins shining in the sun light streaming through the floor to ceiling windows.

"Twinkle toes. . . Hellooooooo. . . Aang!" Aang blinked and saw that him and Toph were the last ones in the room, that others having already left.

"God Aang, we stand here any longer Sugar Queen is going to have both of our heads and your my escort!" And with that Aang allowed her to pull him out of the room.

* * *

**A challenge from the wonderfull seyin800. sorry if it isn't what you wanted or if it's not good for that matter but hey, i had fun writing it. and sorry if it wasn't up real quick.**

**It is called Before The Wedding because it mostly took place _before the wedding. _pls dont get the idea that this is continuing.**

**and if your wondering what aang and toph were saying:**

**aang: hey, i dont like her anymore!**

**toph: yeah right.**

**both: nothing!**

**Happy Thanksgiving!!!**


	15. Christmas Decorations

Toph sighed as she continued to walk down the ice covered sidewalk. She brushed snow that fell from the sky from her cheek, pink from the cold. She stopped suddenly, wriggling her toes in her tan Ugg boots and gripping the cap on her head, pink with grey flames.

"Hey, Toph!" She heard from her right. She felt his light feet press to the frozen earth, sliding his way down the ice covered drive way.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, coming to a stop in front of her.

She shrugged, brushing her cheek with her shoulder. She sighed again and said, "They promised." in a low voice, regretting how it cracked.

Aang raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to they side. "Who promised what?"

Toph dropped her shoulders and stared at the snow covered grass next to her with an icy stare. "My parents. They promised that we could actually put up Christmas decorations together. They hired someone again without telling me." She sounded like a child as she lead her gaze anywhere but at Aang.

Aang opened his mouth, as if to say something, but closed it again. He looked at her with a small smile and grabbed her hand. "Come on." he said eagerly, pulling her over to his house. She kept her bemused expression on as they slipped their way up the drive way, her trying to keep her hat on by planting her free hand on top of her head.

"It's your lucky day, 'cause that's exactly what we're doing today!"

"Huh?" She felt a blast of heat hit her face, making her shiver a bit. She shook her head, to free herself form the snow.

"Well, if it isn't Tophy!" She heard Ayane say. Shou was up on a ladder, fixing lights on their eight foot tall Christmas tree and Ayane was standing at the bottom, leading the end of the lights up to him. She dropped the lights and came to greet Toph with a hug.

"And what brings you here?" She asked, grabbing the end of the lights once more. Toph shrugged, a fake half smile on her face.

"I know that face." Shou said, turning to look at her.

"Really?" Toph said with a laugh that sounded more like a huff.

"I've seen that look several times since you were born. What's wrong."

"Nothing, I guess. At least nothing out of the ordinary." Toph said.

"Well, since your here you can help us put up Christmas decorations!" Ayane said, digging through another box. Before Toph could reply, Aang had pulled her into the room, into the midst of boxes and bubble rap.

"You and Aang can put up all of the ornaments, now that Shou is done putting up lights." Ayane said, already making her way out of the room, into the kitchen.

Toph plopped down in front of a box and held an ornament in front of her nose. "I'm not much of the decorator."

"It's fine. Nothing ever needs to match in Ayane's eyes." Shou said smiling slightly, making his way towards the kitchen, where the smell of cinnamon and ginger bread was coming.

Aang chuckled and picked up a tray of ornaments before sitting down in front of the tree and started to place them randomly on the green branches.

* * *

Toph sat down in front of the fire, hugging the thick, wool blanket tighter around her body. She set the hot chocolate down in front of her and cupped her hands over her frozen ears. 

"Still cold?"

She nodded fervently.

Aang chuckled and set the plate of gingerbread men down in front of her. Her sat down next to her, wrapping himself with a blanket as well. They had been outside for a while, putting up lights along the roof and in the bushes and trees.

Toph took a bite of one of the gingerbread men. "I love your family." She said, breathing in the familiar scent of the house.

Aang chuckled. "Yeah. They're embarrassing most of the time, but you got to love them."

Toph shook her head. "That's not it. You actually do things together, you have real conversations instead of forced ones. You do things like bake cookies together and put up christmas lights. My mom hans't even made my lunch once."

Aang gave a weak smile and shrugged. "I am lucky, I guess. My parents are probably a bit too involved in my life."

"Oh no, my parents are involved as well. they control every move I make. Or at least they try to." Toph smiled slightly at the last comment.

"I'm sure it's not _that_ bad."

"Are you kidding me?! They're already trying to find me a husband."

Aang coughed, choking a bit on the cookie he just bit into. "W-what?" He gasped.

Toph laughed and pounded his back, as if to help. She laid down on her back and sighed contently. "You have no idea how lucky you are."

Aang smiled and laid down next to her, noticing that her breath had evened out, that her eyes were closed, her body relaxed with a peaceful expression on her face.

"Yeah. I guess I don't."

* * *

**hmmmmm. . . i wonder if aang is talking about his family. . .**

**ok ok ok next im going to do kinda of a dramatic one (i think) both of which includes one of tophs parents dying. and tophs mom isn't the glass doll that everyone wants toph to be, she's actually a lot like toph- a rebel for one. she's one of toph's best friends (other than the rest of the gaang) and she can't really handle it when she finds out that her mom has cancer and eventually dies. . . kinda got the idea from the song I'm With You by avril levine (sp?). . . i dunno, might not end up doin it.**

**AND PLS GO TO MY PRO AND TAKE A QUIZ AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE!!!! I NEED TO SEE THE RESULT ON WHICH STORY IN MY IDEAS TO START FIRST. details of story in pro . . .**


	16. You'll Like This

**ok, nix what i said about the sad one that is talked about in me a/n of the previous chapter.**

**I got this awsome idea when i was in band ( yes im in band, bite me). The gaang, as in aang, toph, katara, sokka, zuko and maybe suki, are going to be traveling the world to ten of the cities of which **_**YOU **_**choose. its an AU, of course. each person may request _only one city/country._**

**The chapters will include the plane ride, a day and night in the certain destination.**

**Pls if someone already chose a city then dont ask for another one and pls dont ask for a city in a country if someone already said it. example- if someone chooses new york, pls dont choose Los Angeles, them both being in the USA.**

**and im only doing ten and they will take a while because ill have to do research and what not. REMEMBER, ONLY PICK ONE SINGLE CITY FOR ME TO WRITE ABOUT PLS! i only want one per person. pls reveiw to choose a city!!!!! (i might sneak my own in there ;) )**

**sayonara**

* * *

**1.Demetria912- South Africa**

**2.avatargirl4ever- barcelona, spain**

**3. Willium Rivera- dublin, ireland**

**4. chesca13321- tokyo**

**5. seyin800- belgium**

**6. razzledazzle- vatican**

**7. Willow- newcastle, austrailia**

**8. GhostCookie- Netherlands**

**9. HEkate- London**

**10. avatarrocks- stockholm, sweden**

**and im cheating. . .**

**11! Tefnut Talvi- Athens, Greece**

**THAT'S ALL! NO MORE COUNTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. SORRY!**


	17. South Africa

**yea and sorry this chapter took so long.**

* * *

Toph walked into the terminal of the airport with a spring in her step and a broad grin still plastered to her face. She was pulling along a pale purple trunk with another navy blue bag slung around her shoulder. The others wearily followed behind her, dragging their feet and rubbing at their tired eyes, gripping at their own luggage.

"Toph, do you have to be so," Sokka paused to yawn into his hand. "Enthusiastic?"

"Uh. . . yes. Yes, I do," She answered. "We need to get our tickets first, right?"

Katara nodded blearily her eyes looking unfocused. She glanced at her watch. _4:30 AM._

"I hate lines," Sokka mumbled as they took their place in the back of one.

Aang nodded in agreement, his head slipping onto Sokka's shoulder.

"I hate mornings," Sokka continued, glaring around at the people around him.

"I hate-"

"Will you shut up? We know it's early." Zuko growled, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sokka made a face and shrugged Aang off. Aang stumbled, his bags nearly pulling him to the floor.

Katara finally stepped forward to get the tickets as Sokka and Zuko started arguing and Toph tried to keep Aang standing upright.

"Guy's," Katara muttered, interrupting them. "Let's just drop off our things and get on this damn plane."

The others complied, each sighing and following Katara.

Not having spoken a word, they then made their way over to the security gates, passing the waiting room as they went.

Sokka gazed at a vending machine longingly but Toph pushed him ahead. "We'll eat on plane!" She grunted struggling to push him across the dark blue carpet.

He muttered something incomprehensible but started walking on his own free will.

Tickets. . . passports. . . Dammit, more stairs. . .

Sokka's narrowed eyes widened as he entered the first class area of the plane. The seats reminded him of La-Z Boy chairs with cream colored fabric. The seats closest to the windows had other seats facing them, but the outer ones were alone, next to the inner ones but facing the opposite way.

"I so call the window seat!" He hollered, barreling past an fat man with a huge mustache to get to one.

"Geez, you act like you've never rode a plane before," Toph smirked sitting in the seat with the back against Sokka's.

"Correction, I have never rode _first class _on a plane before. I love your rich parents who are so incredibly rich." Sokka said, rubbing the arms of his chair, suddenly more chipper.

"This is nothing. You should see some of the first class cabins I've stayed in," Toph said. Aang sat across from her, closing his eyes immediately and Katara sat next to her, Zuko sitting across from Sokka.

It was about an hour before the pilot said that it was time to take off. Katara squirmed in her seat, buckling the seat belt and tightening it.

"Will you stop moving!" Toph exclaimed after a minute.

"Sorry," Katara muttered.

"She hasn't flown before," Sokka explained, twisting in his seat to look at the others.

"What do you mean? You've flown before." Aang said, looking at Sokka.

"Sokka went on a plane when he was visiting our dad at base. I couldn't go," Katara explained.

They could feel the plane start to move, gaining speed. Katara let out a muffled squeak and gripped the arms of the chair.

"This should be good," Zuko muttered.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod," Katara muttered under her breath, closing her eyes and leaning back against the seat.

"Come on, Sugar Queen! Even I'm not that bad!" Toph exclaimed.

After what felt like an eternity to Katara, the deep, tickling sensation in her stomach disappeared and she opened her eyes.

"Decided to join us have you?"

"Shut up," Katara snapped.

Aang sat up and called to Katara to get her attention.

"Hey! How long will this ride take?"

Katara smiled. "You don't want to know."

"Try me."

"Your gonna hate me," She sang, turning back to face forward.

"Come on, Katara!"

"I'd say about. . . almost. . . 30 hours? Yeah, I'd say 30 hours." Katara said nonchalantly, playing with a loose string at the hem of her shirt.

Aang moaned and sank into his seat.

* * *

When Zuko woke up it was 10:30.

_Only 14 and a 1/2 hours to go,_ Zuko thought disdainfully. He stretched as much as he could in his seat and looked around. Sokka was still asleep, as was Aang, he could hear Toph's music from her iPod, as it was loud enough to travel from the ear phones and Katara was out of her seat.

As Zuko was about to question this, Katara came wobbling back into view and practically dived back into her seat.

Zuko chuckled, turning his gaze out the window.

"Oh, shut it. I'm not used to this stuff," Katara growled, burrowing herself into the seat.

"Wait until we land. I bet you're going to scream," Zuko smiled.

"I will not!" Katara huffed. She pressed a button on the side of her chair and slowly her chair started leaning back until it was like a bed. She pressed the button again and started coming back up, but she pressed another and starting going back down, making a whirring noise the whole time.

Zuko groaned. _Was that seriously the only way to amuse herself?_

"You're more like Sokka than you think," Zuko said, looking back out the window.

* * *

"Do you have to listen to that music?" Aang asked. He was starting to get a head ache.

"I can't watch movies to entertain myself. And I'm not a pig," Toph said gesturing first to the movie playing overhead then to Sokka, who practically head a buffet brought to him.

"I resent that!" Sokka shouted over his shoulder, his mouth full of food.

"Why does it smell like fish eggs?" Toph asked, scrunching up her nose.

"Is that what this stuff is. . .?"

Toph shook her head. She leaned back and the chair slid forward so that she could lay down.

"How much longer?"

"Ten hours."

The four others groaned in unison.

* * *

All of them were gripping to each other in an attempt not to fall down as the headed to get their luggage.

"I'm just glad I can stretch!" Sokka exclaimed, his hands above his head.

"God, me too! My legs hurt so much!" Toph complained, arching her back.

They had managed to find the bags surprisingly fast and they headed out to the parking lot.

Katara rushed forward and whistled. "Taxi!"

Almost immediately a car pulled up.

"I still don't get how she does that," Sokka muttered, shaking his head.

"Riverside Hotel," Katara said, once everyone was crammed into the back.

The driver nodded and made a wide U-turn, exiting the airport.

It was another 30 minutes before they reached the hotel.

"Holy cow!" Aang exclaimed, staring up at the tall building. It looked to be mostly made of glass and was very, _very _large.

The walked through the doors and people immediately took their bags.

"Nice," Sokka grinned, clearly impressed.

"Don't you just love that my parents are paying for all of this?" Toph said to everyone in general.

They all nodded. They all raced to the elevators and sped up to their rooms after booking.

Katara and Toph opened their own doors before the guys got to theirs.

There were two double beds, each with a striped comforter with different colored orange stripes. There was a large window for the wall, with a stunning view of the Umgeni river. There was a mini bar fridge and a microwave with cutlery and counters for them to cook for themselves if needed. A dresser was to the side of the windows. There was also a TV on the opposite wall of the beds with a couch and arm chair. With all of this, the room was vast, with more than enough room to move around.

"This is amazing!" Katara said. She ducked into the bathroom and ran back out a wide grin on her face. "I love this place. I hate plane's, but I love this."

"Calm down! Your head is gonna pop or something," Toph said, sitting down in the armchair.

Suddenly Aang burst through the door, a little red in the face. "I _love _this place!"

"You guy's really need to get out more," Toph said, nodding her head.

Sokka walked into the room, stepping around Aang.

"Oh, no fair! You guys got double beds!" He said, sitting and bouncing on the closest bed.

Aang walked the rest of the way in and opened the mini fridge.

"This place is loaded!" He exclaimed, grabbing a soda.

Zuko stood in the doorway, gazing around the room. "This room is bigger than ours," he muttered.

"Why invade our room? Go destroy your own!" Toph said in a loud whisper.

"Yeah, yeah," Sokka mumbled, getting up from the bed.

"And I suggest sleep! We have to be up early tomorrow!" Katara warned them.

"Why sleep?" Zuko asked.

"Because it's 9:00," Katara said, pointing the digital clock next to either beds.

"But we're not tired."

"That sucks for you," Toph said climbing onto a bed. "I hardly slept on the plane."

The boys left and Katara smiled. "Tomorrow's going to be hell for them."

* * *

"Don't give me that look! I told you guys we'd be up early," Katara said sternly as Sokka covered his head with the covers again.

Katara opened the curtains and turned on the lights, but they wouldn't get up.

"Come on!" Katara said irately.

"Coming through," Toph said, holding a bucket. She reached Aang's bed first and tilted the bucket onto his back.

"THAT'S COLD!" he shrieked, leaping from his bed. Ice cube's littered his bed. Zuko and Sokka both looked up at this, uncovering their heads.

Toph held up the bucket, daring them to defy her. They both leapt out of bed and backed away.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Toph said. "We'll wait in the hall. Five minutes!"

In a matter of ten minutes the group was in a taxi.

"Where you headin'?" The driver asked.

"Um. . ." Katara pulled out a sheet of paper from the pockets of her shorts. "Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve," She read slowly.

The driver chuckled but nodded. It was another thirty minutes before they reached the sight.

Aang re-gripped his backpack and lead the group towards the main building. The relief of the air conditioning was unbelievable as the air outside was scorching.

An African American man was standing behind the desk, wearing a straw hat, a tan T-shirt and a friendly smile.

"Hello! Will this be for game or a tour?" He asked.

"Tour," Aang said quickly, a shocked look on his face. The man chuckled and pushed a book forward.

"Please fill out the forms and we'll be right with you," He said, disappearing behind a door.

Aang stared blankly at the papers for a moment before Zuko stepped up next to him.

"Let me," He said and Aang stepped to the side.

A moment later another African stepped out of the door.

"The next tour starts in five minutes," He said to them and they nodded.

"This is going to be so boring," Toph mumbled.

"What are you talking about! We get to see elephants and lions!" Aang said, giving Toph a crazy look.

"It's not like I'll see them! And they probably won't let me out of the van thing," Toph replied, crossing her arms.

"But. . . you'll hear them. . ." Aang said

"Wow, thanks Aang, I feel a lot better," Toph said, smacking a hand to her chest.

"I try," Aang said, shrugging his shoulders.

Toph rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Dear god, it's getting up," Katara whispered, clutching Zuko's arm.

The lion prowled around the perimeter of the van, gazing up at the passengers. Aang was smiling, restraining himself from leaning forward for a closer look.

"They smell like a zoo," Toph said bluntly. Sokka snorted into his hands.

"Look, you can see the babies!" Katara said in awe, pointing out to the shade of an Acacia. Two cubs were tossing and turning over their mom as she eyed the van lazily.

"Oh god, that one's getting up too!"

* * *

**LOOK AT PREVIOUS CHAPTER FOR DETAILS!!!**

**Okay, im sorry if the airport details are vague or just not right but the last time i was on a plane, i was 7 so. . . the internet had to suffice. god, could my description get more confusing!!?? the picture i tried to describe is here- http://cache. if this is kinda dead end, but i had no idea how to end this. **_**no **_**idea. sorry, sorry, sorry. i hate it im sorry! its straight forward and im just going to stop complaining right now. . .**

**yes, everywhere that the gaang goes is real. some facts might be mixed up (sorry if there is and if you know pls pls pls correct me) things like, distance, time, places and names. Im saying that they left from CHICAGO. just because thats the closest big city i live to.**

**and, joy, im sick. bleeeehhhhhh.**

**NEXT IS. . . drumroll. . . BARCELONA SPAIN!!!!**


	18. Byebye

okay. . .

I suck. I know. I'm sorry.

Soooooo. . . all of you _loving_ fans. . . this isn't the chapter you have been waiting months for. Sorry, again. My life is way too hectic for Fanfiction right now. I'll read occasionally, and rarely reveiw, but writing? Nooo. . . my book is taking up too much of my time. And every other cruddy thing that happens in high school.

And I'm sure that if I really loved avatar as much as I had, then I would still be writing. But, i just don't have the same heart, it's like I have to force myself to write about them.

The only story that has a chance of being finished (i've been writing the next chapter for months) is Friday Night. Everything else is dead. I'm sorry for all of the people who reveiwed and got spots for the country thing in Prove It.

IF ANYONE WANTS TO FINISH ANY OF MY STORY'S (with the exception of Friday Night) THEN FEEL FREE. JUST TELL ME FIRST!!

Once again, I'm sorry. Maybe Friday Night. Maybe. Maybe a reveiw. Though it will most likely be for Naruto now. Gahh

I love all of my reveiws and those people who have stuck with me! Feel free to send me evil reveiws on this

SF16


End file.
